Graham on Special Counsel: Doesn't Pass Smell Test

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., took aim at the appointment of U.S. Attorney David Weiss as the special counsel to continue investigating Hunter Biden on Friday, saying "it doesn't pass the smell test" while calling for a "new set of eyes."

The statement from Graham, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joins a loud chorus of complaints from fellow GOP lawmakers, who say the appointment of Weiss by Attorney General Merrick Garland earlier Friday is nothing but a win for the son of the president.

It was Weiss who attempted to end his earlier prosecution of Hunter Biden with a plea deal that was rejected by U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika last month. That plea deal would have resulted in no prison time for Hunter Biden.

"The plea deal arranged by Mr. Weiss' team was the biggest sweetheart deal in the history of the American legal system," Graham said in a statement. "To allow this same team to continue to investigate potential financial crimes involving Hunter Biden and others doesn't pass the smell test.

"If the goal of Attorney General Garland's decision to appoint Mr. Weiss as special counsel in the Hunter Biden investigation was to put this story to bed, he failed miserably."

"Appointing Weiss special counsel doesn't solve any of the problems exposed in this case. Whistleblowers have told Congress time and time again that the Justice Department had its thumb on the scale when it came to the Hunter Biden investigation," Graham added.

Under the plea deal with Weiss, Hunter Biden would have pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges while skirting a felony firearms charge.

A renegotiation between Weiss and the Justice Department and Hunter Biden's legal team ended Friday "at an impasse."

And while Weiss can now file charges against Hunter Biden in California or Washington, D.C., instead of only in Delaware, Graham asserts venue isn't the issue.

"The only solution for this problem is to have a new set of eyes on all things Hunter Biden," Graham wrote.

• Comer, GOP Slam Weiss Appointment as More DOJ Cover-up
• Rep. Alford to Newsmax: Hunter Special Counsel Could Stall Impeachment Inquiry