House Republicans want to know why U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland picked David C. Weiss to lead the Department of Justice's ongoing probe into Hunter Biden.
GOP Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, head of the Judiciary Committee; James Comer of Kentucky, head of Oversight; and Jason Smith of Missouri, head of Ways and Means; detailed their concerns in a Monday letter.
Weiss, a United States Attorney for the federal District Court in Delaware, was already prosecuting Hunter Biden in a similar case surrounding alleged tax violations and ownership of an illicit firearm.
Then on Aug. 11, Garland selected Weiss, at his request, to lead the wider DOJ probe into the same tax and gun charges. The rationale given was that Weiss would widen the probe into other states, not just limited to Delaware.
However, Republicans have criticized Weiss for offering Hunter Biden a sweetheart plea deal in the first place, which has since been rescinded after being called into question by a judge.
"It is not clear why you have only now, after the investigation has been going on for five years, opted to appoint Mr. Weiss as special counsel, especially after you and the Department represented that Mr. Weiss already had ‘ultimate' authority over the case," the GOP letter read.
The Republicans also cited two Internal Revenue Service whistleblowers who have accused Weiss' office in Delaware of slow-walking the tax and gun case, in addition to overlooking more serious crimes.
Jordan, Comer, and Smith subsequently requested that Garland provide all documents and communications relating to Weiss' elevation as well as any related memorandums.
The letter came just hours after former President Donald Trump's legal team discussed with DOJ special counsel Jack Smith's office about a hearing to determine the trial date for his election interference case.
Both sides agreed to March 4, 2024, after Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of the federal District Court in Washington, D.C., rejected an effort from defendants to postpone it to 2026.
Luca Cacciatore ✉
Luca Cacciatore, a Newsmax general assignment writer, is based in Arlington, Virginia, reporting on news and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.