Special Counsel Report Defends Investigations into Hunter Biden, Criticizes Presidential Pardon
The recent release of a report by Special Counsel David Weiss has brought renewed attention to the investigations surrounding Hunter Biden, emphasizing that the criminal charges against him were the result of impartial inquiries rather than political maneuvering. This report also criticizes President Joe Biden for his decision to pardon his son, accusing him of maligning the Justice Department with unfounded claims.
“Other presidents have pardoned family members, but in doing so, none have taken the occasion as an opportunity to malign the public servants at the Department of Justice based solely on false accusations,” stated Weiss in the report. The investigations led to gun and tax charges against Hunter Biden, resulting in felony convictions that were later nullified by the presidential pardon.
The report, which follows a custom of Justice Department special counsels, provides a detailed account of the investigative findings. However, it stands out for its defense of the investigation and its critique of the president’s written statement issued during the pardon of his son. This investigation, initially predating Attorney General Merrick Garland’s tenure, became one of the most politically charged inquiries, creating tension between the Justice Department and the White House.
President Biden, who had previously stated he would not pardon his son, changed his stance on December 1, citing a “miscarriage of justice” and claiming his son was selectively prosecuted due to his last name. He argued that “raw politics” influenced the Justice Department’s decisions, stating, “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong.”
Weiss, who served as U.S. Attorney for Delaware during the Trump administration and was later appointed as special counsel, rejected these assertions, noting that judges had also dismissed such claims. He emphasized that the president’s remarks were incorrect and detrimental to public confidence in the justice system. Weiss highlighted the importance of maintaining impartiality in the justice system, stating, “Calling judges’ rulings into question and injecting partisanship into the independent administration of the law undermines the very foundation of what makes America’s justice system fair and equitable.”
In response, Hunter Biden’s lawyer criticized the report, accusing Weiss of failing to justify why prosecutors pursued discredited conspiracies about the president’s son. Defense attorney Abbe Lowell described the investigation as an example of prosecutorial power abuse.
The investigations, which became public in 2020 when Hunter revealed that prosecutors were examining his taxes, encountered numerous challenges across different Justice Department leaderships. A plea deal Hunter was set to enter in 2023 fell apart due to disagreements between his legal team and federal prosecutors. He was eventually convicted of three federal felonies in Delaware, related to false claims on a gun-purchase form.
According to Weiss, Hunter Biden, a “Yale-educated lawyer and businessperson,” knowingly lied on the gun-purchase form while using drugs. The report also notes Hunter’s guilty plea to federal tax charges, avoiding a trial that could have exposed more personal details.
Weiss defended the fairness of the prosecutions, countering claims of selective treatment, saying, “Far from selective, these prosecutions were the embodiment of the equal application of justice — no matter who you are, or what your last name is, you are subject to the same laws as everyone else in the United States.”
