Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Biden stays mum on Justice Dept. decision to name special counsel in Hunter Biden probe

President Joe Biden is keeping mum about Attorney General Merrick Garland’s decision to name a special counsel in the investigation of his son Hunter Biden

Associated Press
Saturday 19 August 2023 00:02 BST
United States Japan South Korea
United States Japan South Korea (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

President Joe Biden is keeping mum about Attorney General Merrick Garland’s decision to name a special counsel in the investigation of his son Hunter Biden.

Speaking at a news conference Friday at the conclusion of his Camp David summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Biden demurred when asked about the latest twist in his son's legal issues. The comments were Biden's first on the matter since Garland announced last week he was naming a special counsel into the probe of Hunter Biden’s financial dealings.

“I have no comment on any investigation that’s going on,” said Biden. “That’s up to the Justice Department and that’s all I have to say.”

Garland noted the “extraordinary circumstances” of the matter when he named David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware who had already been probing Hunter Biden’s financial dealings, as special counsel after a plea deal over tax evasion and a gun charge collapsed last month.

The sudden turn of events has raised new questions about the case against Biden on tax evasion and a gun charge, deepening an investigation that appeared close to resolution just weeks ago.

With the special counsel designation, Weiss gained broad authority to investigate and report out his findings. As special counsel, he is also able to prosecute Biden in any district he deems appropriate rather than solely in Delaware.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in