Donald Trump called for the execution of Hunter Biden on Tuesday night for tax fraud and forging a gun license.
Hunter, 53, agreed on June 20 to plead guilty to two counts of federal income tax fraud and a separate deal involving a gun charge.
Republicans have claimed the agreement is a “sweetheart deal” and are questioning the prosecution, David Weiss.
Weiss, Trump’s appointed U.S. attorney for the Delaware District Court, insisted on Monday that he reached his conclusion independently — despite two IRS whistleblowers claiming the process was corrupt.
But Trump reacted angrily to Weiss’s decision to reach a plea deal, insisting he should have sentenced Hunter to death.
Hunter Biden, 53, has agreed on a plea for tax and gun permits. Donald Trump said he deserved the death penalty
The president’s son is shown holding the gun he bought after swearing he was not addicted to drugs. He has since admitted his cocaine addiction
The death penalty is not an option for tax fraud or gun possession.
“Weiss is a coward, a smaller version of Bill Barr, who never had the courage to do what everyone knows should have been done,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
“He handed out a traffic ticket instead of a death sentence.”
Despite Trump appointing Weiss himself, the former president blamed the two Democratic senators for Delaware – Tom Carper and Chris Coons – for recommending him.
“Because of the two Democratic senators in Delaware, they have to elect and/or approve him,” Trump said.
“Perhaps the presiding judge has the courage and intellect to break through this cesspool of crime.
“The conspiracy and corruption is indescribable. TWO RIDES OF JUSTICE!’
Amid the Republican anger and accusations, Weiss said Monday he had been reassured by the Justice Department that he would have the authority to press charges against President Joe Biden’s son outside of his Delaware district if he so chose.
The US attorney outlined his powers in a letter to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, after the South Carolina senator wrote to him asking him to clarify an IRS whistleblower’s allegations that he had been denied special counsel status.
“I didn’t ask for special counsel,” Weiss remarked.
“I was assured that I would be given this authority if it were necessary,” Weiss added.
“And this assurance came months before the October 7, 2022 meeting referenced in the whistleblowers’ allegations.”
Hunter Biden is seen arriving at an air force base in Washington DC on June 23
Hunter Biden is seen with his parents on July 4 watching the fireworks from the White House
US Attorney David Weiss said he did not ask for special counsel status as part of his investigation into Hunter Biden
Weiss adds that he has “never been denied the authority to bring charges in any jurisdiction.”
Questions have been raised about the extent of Weiss’ authority after IRS agent Gary Shapely, a whistleblower, alleged that Weiss had attempted to press charges against Hunter Biden in Washington DC but was blocked by DC’s top federal prosecutor Matthew Graves, a appointed by Biden.
Federal law requires federal criminal proceedings to be conducted in the district where the crimes were committed. Hunter Biden lived in Washington DC and California at the time of his tax crimes.
That means Weiss needs the cooperation of the Central District of California and Washington DC to press charges there.
Shapley said Weiss was denied that permission.
But Weiss said he was reassured he would have gotten it if he asked.
Shapley’s lawyers accused Weiss of changing his story.
“The story of U.S. attorney David Weiss continues to evolve,” Shapley’s legal team said in a statement.
In practice, it doesn’t matter whether Weiss requested special counsel or a special attorney. In no case should ‘the trial’ have included the political appointees of the subject’s father, because Congress and the public had been assured that it would not – but it did.”
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham wrote to U.S. Attorney David Weiss asking him to respond to allegations made by an IRS whistleblower
Shapley, in an interview with Fox news in June, described an October 7, 2022 meeting with top IRS and FBI officials about the Hunter case.
“I was there and I personally witnessed it,” Shapley said, noting that Weiss began by saying “he’s not the person who decides whether or not to press charges.”
Shapley claimed the final decision was made by Washington DC officials. He noted that in March 2022, Weiss met with Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia who was appointed by President Joe Biden.
“After that happened, he was no longer looking to attack,” Shapley said.
Shapley noted that Weiss said he asked for special counsel and was denied.
“I even had him repeat that because I knew how important that fact was, and I wanted to make sure I understood it,” he noted.
Shapley said he even documented the details of the meeting in an email, noting that the email was in the hands of house investigators.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has consistently said Weiss had full authority.
Garland had said, “As I said at the outset, Mr. Weiss was appointed by President Trump as the U.S. Attorney in Delaware and assigned this case during the previous administration.”
Garland said Weiss would be allowed to continue his investigation and make a decision to prosecute any way he wants and in any district he wants. Mr Weiss has since sent a letter to the House Judiciary confirming that he had that authority.
“I don’t know how it would be possible for someone to dissuade him from prosecuting, given that he has this authority,” he said in June.
He claimed that Weiss never asked to be appointed special prosecutor.
‘Mr. In fact, Weiss had more authority than a special counsel would have,” Garland said.
“He was given full authority to make all decisions alone.
“Some have chosen to attack the integrity of the Justice Department by claiming that we do not treat cases equally.
“This is an attack on an institution essential to American democracy.”