Politics
House GOP pursues Hunter Biden favoritism theories despite contradictions
By Jake Beardslee · November 7, 2023
In brief…
- Weiss aims to dispute allegations he gave the president's son favorable treatment amid failed plea negotiations.
- House Republicans promote theories of Biden leniency to aid stalled efforts to impeach President Biden.
- Weiss was appointed by Trump but retained by AG Garland to finish the ongoing investigation into Biden's taxes and foreign business dealings.
Trump-appointed special counsel David Weiss is prepared to defend his investigation into Hunter Biden in an unprecedented appearance before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, according to spokesman Wyn Hornbuckle. Weiss negotiated an unsuccessful plea agreement with the president’s son and aims to counter allegations that he went easy on Biden due to White House pressure.
The hearing marks the first time a special counsel has agreed to testify to Congress prior to finishing an inquiry. Hornbuckle stated that Weiss “is prepared to take this unprecedented step of testifying before the conclusion of his investigation to make clear that he’s had and continues to have full authority over his investigation and to bring charges in any jurisdiction,” according to The New York Times.
House Republicans have promoted theories of favorable treatment for Hunter Biden as part of their stalled efforts to impeach President Biden. However, evidence has often directly contradicted their claims. Weiss is not expected to address specifics of the ongoing probe, as Hornbuckle noted he will be “unable to address the specifics of his investigation” in accordance with Justice Department policy.
Weiss, originally appointed U.S. Attorney for Delaware by Trump in 2018, was retained by Attorney General Merrick Garland to complete the Hunter Biden case.
Ohio Republican and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan negotiated with DOJ for weeks regarding the terms of Weiss’s testimony. The department offered a public hearing, but the committee opted for a private session. Jordan has repeatedly implied Weiss and Garland misled his committee, tweeting that “David Weiss said repeatedly that he had ‘ultimate authority’ over the decision to charge Hunter Biden. The only problem? He didn’t.”
In the spring, after a 5-year investigation, Weiss negotiated a complex deal with Biden’s team that would have spared jail time in exchange for pleading guilty to tax misdemeanors. But the plea agreement collapsed during a contentious July court hearing. Shortly after, Weiss indicted Biden on firearms charges, to which he pleaded not guilty.
Weiss had expected to conclude the case by now but in August requested and received special counsel status from Garland, who had previously deemed it unnecessary. Garland said he will publicly release Weiss’s final report. For now, the investigation continues, possibly into whether Biden’s business dealings violated foreign lobbying laws.