Sen. Graham says Hunter Biden special counsel appointment poured gasoline on a ‘political fire’
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., reacts to Attorney General Merrick Garland appointing David Weiss as special counsel in the Hunter Biden investigation.
Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed investigator David Weiss as special counsel in the Hunter Biden investigation, but Weiss' connection to previous probes of President Biden's son and role in his ill-fated original plea agreement have many GOP lawmakers questioning the move. On "America Reports" Friday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., slammed the move as a "political decision," arguing the Justice Department is trying to solve "a legal problem they've created for themselves."
DOJ USING HUNTER BIDEN SPECIAL COUNSEL TO ‘STONEWALL’ CONGRESS' INVESTIGATION, GOP LAWMAKER SAYS
SEN. LIINDSEY GRAHAM: This was a political decision, not a legal decision. They're trying to put out a fire and they just poured gasoline on it. Nobody in their right mind believes that making him a special counsel, Mr. Weiss, cleans up the mess that's been created. If it weren't for the House of Representatives, we wouldn't know any of this.
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This doesn't pass the smell test. What they've tried to do is give Hunter Biden a deal that no other American would get. The judge asked hard questions. The plea agreement blew up. And to think that the very guy who wrote the plea agreement is seriously going to continue to investigate the Bidens is laughable. Andy is dead right. The guy that wrote the plea agreement did it in a fashion to give Hunter Biden the biggest break maybe in American legal history. Does anybody in their right mind trust the Weiss team to continue to fairly and impartially investigate the Hunter Biden, Joe Biden matter? I don't. So you've changed the title, but the problem is still the same.
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This was a dumb political decision to try to solve a legal problem they've created for themselves. Nobody in America is going to buy that he becomes special counsel. All is well.
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday appointed U.S. Attorney David Weiss a special counsel in the Hunter Biden probe, as well as any other matters that arose or may arise from that investigation.
"I'm here today to announce the appointment of David Weiss as a special counsel consistent with the Department of Justice regulations governing such matters. In keeping with those regulations, I have today notified the designated members of each House of Congress of the appointment," Garland said at a press conference in Washington, D.C.
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Weiss is the federal prosecutor who has investigated the business dealings of Hunter Biden and brought charges against him in Delaware. His appointment as special counsel indicates that, contrary to Hunter's defense lawyers' claims, the Justice Department investigation into President Biden's son is not over.
A senior Justice Department official said the White House was not informed of Garland's decision before the announcement.
Fox News' Chris Pandolfo, Jake Gibson and David Spunt contributed to this report.
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