A number of Republican senators, including Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, are pressuring Attorney General Merrick Garland to elevate the Department of Justice investigation into Hunter Biden by officially announcing a special counsel. The move comes after a number of FBI whistleblowers informed Grassley's office that agents were specifically told not to investigate Biden's laptop, which they had in their possession in the summer of 2020 and throughout the presidential election.
"We the undersigned write to request that United States Attorney David C. Weiss be extended special counsel protections and authorities to conduct the Hunter Eiden investigation. During your confirmation hearing, you promised to keep politics out of the Department of Justice' DOJ'. This promise has not been kept," a letter, signed by 31 Republican senators and sent to Garland Monday, states. "There is no way of knowing the entire scope of the investigation, but evidence seems to be mounting that Hunter Biden committed numerous federal crimes, including, but not limited to, tax fraud, money laundering, and foreign-lobbying violations."
TODAY ? Ranking Member @ChuckGrassley joined @JohnCornyn, @LeaderMcConnell and 29 GOP Senate colleagues in calling on AG Garland to grant U.S. Attorney David Weiss special counsel protections and authorities to conduct the investigation into #HunterBiden.https://t.co/6SQAEQ4FCx
— Senate Judiciary Republicans (@SenJudiciaryGOP) September 19, 2022
"Given that the investigation involves the President's son, we believe it is important to provide U.S. Attorney Weiss with special counsel authorities and protections to allow him to investigate an appropriate scope of potentially criminal conduct, avoid the appearance of impropriety, and provide additional assurances to the American people that the Hunter Biden investigation is free from political influence," the letter continues. "Given the politicization of the DOJ under your watch and the importance of avoiding any appearance of impropriety, the undersigned request that you provide U.S. Attorney Weiss the full protections and authorities of a special counsel. This is one important action that you can take that will go a long way in restoring faith in our governmental institutions."
After Grassley revealed whistleblower allegations three weeks ago, a top FBI agent resigned. He was accused of burying the Hunter Biden laptop investigation for political reasons.
"A top FBI agent at the Washington field office reportedly resigned from his post last week after facing intense scrutiny over allegations he helped shield Hunter Biden from criminal investigations into his laptop and business dealings," the New York Post reported. "Timothy Thibault, an FBI assistant special agent in charge, was allegedly forced out after he was accused of political bias in his handling of probes involving President Biden's son."
