As the Hunter Biden inquiry and Joe Biden’s classified papers investigation continue, a report shows that some of President Biden’s advisers have begun to doubt Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Sources have told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that Biden’s aides believe Garland’s judgments regarding the Biden family inquiries were influenced by political posturing rather than impartial justice. A federal grand jury accused Hunter Biden of three firearms offenses, carrying a potential sentence of 25 years if convicted.
But according to his supporters, Garland is not caving to political pressure but instead protecting Biden from investigators. President Biden has sent responses to any inquiries concerning Hunter Biden to the Department of Justice.
President Biden’s allies hoped that Hunter Biden’s plea deal would put an end to the investigation, but it fell apart during a court appearance in July after U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika of Delaware examined an immunity clause in the pretrial diversion arrangement for Biden’s felony gun charge.
Reports show Hunter Biden pled not guilty to two tax offenses after his defense team and DOJ attorney Leo Wise disagreed over the extent of the immunity clause. The Department of Justice disagrees with Hunter Biden’s legal team’s assertion that the diversion arrangement is valid and in effect.
After Hunter Biden’s attorneys claimed that his plea bargain and pretrial diversion arrangement were still in place, Special Counsel David Weiss responded that they were not.
Weiss, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, was appointed by Garland as special counsel to handle the Hunter Biden matter in August.
Weiss said in a court filing that the Government never indicated the planned diversion arrangement existed because it did not.
The Government did not state that the diversion arrangement was in force in any of the transcript excerpts referenced by the Defendant in the footnote. The government, in reality, issued contradictory statements.
Reports reveal that prior to Hunter Biden’s special counsel appointment, IRS whistleblowers Joseph Ziegler and Gary Shapley criticized Justice Department investigators led by Weiss for favoring Biden.
According to the reports, some White House staffers think Garland botched the Hunter Biden investigation after the plea bargain fell through and Weiss was named special counsel. When the whistleblowers came forward, the aides felt Garland should have responded with greater force.
