Attorney General Merrick Garland washed his hands of the Hunter Biden plea deal when asked Wednesday about Republican complaints that it represented a bipartisan justice system.
Garland appeared at a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden, to close the EU-US conference on justice and home affairs he attended.
He was asked to address allegations from former President Donald Trump and GOP lawmakers saw Hunter Biden’s plea deal as a “slap on the wrist” while the ex-president was charged with 37 federal crimes for mishandling classified documents, leading him to face up to 400 years in prison.
“As I said from the time of my appointment as attorney general, I would turn this case over to the U.S. attorney who was appointed by the previous president and assigned to this case by the previous administration,” Garland said.
“That he would be given full authority to decide the matter as he decided was appropriate. And that’s what he did,” the attorney general added. “And if you have any questions on that matter, you should refer them to the US Attorney to explain his decision.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland washed his hands of the Hunter Biden plea deal when asked Wednesday about Republican complaints that it represented a bipartisan justice system
U.S. Attorney for Delaware, David Weiss, was nominated by Trump in November 2017 and was one of the few Trump-appointed U.S. attorneys to keep their jobs after President Joe Biden was sworn in in January 2021.
Biden kept Weiss in place due to the ongoing investigation into his son.
Earlier this month, Weiss wrote a letter to House Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan assuring him that he had complete autonomy over the Hunter investigation.
“I have been given ultimate authority over this case, including the responsibility to decide where, when and if charges should be filed and to make decisions necessary to preserve the integrity of the prosecution, in accordance with federal law.” , federal prosecutor principles and departmental regulations,” Weiss told Jordan.
Jordan had contacted Garland in late May, with Weiss single-handedly responding to the Ohio Republican’s letter.
“While your letter does not specify by name the ongoing investigation that is the subject of the committee’s oversight, its contents suggest that your investigation is related to an investigation in my district,” Weiss said.
Weiss told Jordan he would not hand over materials related to the ongoing Hunter investigation to Congress in order to “keep pending law enforcement issues separate from the realm of politics.”
Republicans were outraged that Hunter Biden was offered a plea deal on tax and gun charges, while former President Donald Trump was charged with 37 federal crimes over his mishandling of classified documents
But no matter how many Trump-appointed prosecutors or judges are involved in a case, the former president and his allies have consistently hammered the Justice Department.
“The Settlement Between Hunter & Joe Biden Is A Massive COVERUP & COMPLETE ELECTION INBREACHING ‘SCAM’ NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN OUR COUNTRY,” Trump posted on Truth Social Tuesday. “A “TRAFFIC TICKET,” & JOE IS ALL CLEANED & READY FOR THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION – AND THIS AS THE STRONG DOJ, STATE & CITY APPLICANTS, MARXISTS & COMMUNISTS ALL, BEAT ME FROM ALL SIDES & ANGELS WITH BULL… .! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said Hunter’s plea deal “reveals a two-tier court system.”
“Hunter Biden gets away with a slap on the wrist when mounting evidence uncovered by the House Oversight Committee reveals the Bidens engaged in a pattern of corruption, influence and possibly bribery,” Comer charged.
“These charges against Hunter Biden and a plea deal will not affect the Oversight Committee’s investigation,” the Kentucky Republican continued. “We will not rest until the full extent of President Biden’s involvement in the family’s plans is revealed.”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy expressed a similar sentiment, also referring to the “two-tiered” system.
“If you’re the president’s main opponent, the DOJ is literally trying to put you in jail,” McCarthy told reporters on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. “If you’re the president’s son, you get a love deal.”