Monday 19 September 2022 08:50 PM 30 Senate Republicans demand Biden pick a special counsel for Hunter probe trends now
Thirty Republican senators have written to Attorney General Merrick Garland and asked him to appoint a special counsel to look into Hunter Biden's business dealings.
The letter points to Garland's request to keep politics out of the Justice Department and cites reports from Senator Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, that '"highly credible" whistleblowers have come forward to detail a "widespread effort within the FBI to downplay or discredit negative information" about Hunter Biden.'
The senators, which includes Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, urge Garland to give U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who has been investigating President Joe Biden's only living son, the powers that come with the special counsel appointment.
The senators argue the desigation would allow Weiss to 'allow him to investigate an appropriate scope of potentially criminal conduct, avoid the appearance of improperity, and provide additional reassurances to the American people that the Hunter Biden investigation is free from political influence.'
'This is one important action that you can take that will go a long way to restoring faith in our governmental institutions,' the senators write.
Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, has admitted to being investigated for his taxes but denied any wrong doing; no charges have been filed against him; above the two men in August 2022 after going to mass together during a Biden family vacation in South Carolina
Weiss was named as the lead investigator into Hunter Biden's business dealings during the Donald Trump administration. He stayed on and continued his work after Joe Biden was elected president.
Hunter Biden has admitted he's being investigated for his taxes but denies any guilt. He has not faced any federal charges thus far.
The senators charge Hunter thrived financially off a 'pay to play' culture that saw him benefit from his father serving as vice president under Barack Obama. They claim the president's son is being investigated for ' tax fraud, money laundering, and foreign-lobbying violations.'
The letter was led by McConnell, Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas and Grassley.
Under federal law, the attorney general can appoint a special counsel when an investigation or prosecution of a person by a U.S. Attorney’s office or the Department of Justice 'would present a conflict of interest for the Department or other extraordinary circumstances.'
Special counsel status would give Democrats and Republicans in Congress more oversight into the Hunter Biden probe.
It would also force Garland to explain to Congress any disagreement he had with Weiss or any arguments he had with him on recommendations, up to and including a recommendation that Hunter Biden be charged with federal crimes.
Hunter Biden’s criminal defense lawyer Christopher Clark did not respond to CNBC when it requested comment. Nor did spokesmen for Garland and Weiss.
Meanwhile, President Biden defended his son during an intervew with 60 Minutes that aired on Sunday night.
He said his son's foreign business dealings did not cause any conflicts with Biden's prior position as vice president under Barack Obama.
'I love my son, number one,' Biden said. 'He fought an addiction problem and he overcame it, he wrote about it.'
'And no, there is not a single thing that I've observed, at all, that would affect me or the United States relative to my son Hunter.'
Republican Senators are urging Attorney General Merrick Garland (left) to give U.S. Attorney David Weiss (right) special counsel powers
President Joe Biden was asked about whether his son Hunter Biden could be a political liability if the president hits the 2024 campaign trail during a lengthy interview on 60 Minutes
The case against Hunter Biden is said to be heating up.
Sources told the CNN that prosecutors were weighing whether charges should be levied but were also wary of Department of Justice guidelines that advise against bringing potentially politically charged cases to the forefront so close to an election.
Grassley, a Republican senator from Iowa, has taken the lead on holding Hunter Biden's feet to the fire for the GOP.
President Biden's son was political catnip during the 2020 presidential election and a frequent target of taunts from Donald Trump on the campaign trail. 'Where's Hunter,' the then president would ask to roars of approval from his MAGA followers.
In July, Grassly held the FBI and Justice Department's feet to the fire on Hunter Biden, demanding the agencies answer claims from a whistleblower they downplayed negative information on the
