U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Friday that the Department of Justice has granted the U.S. attorney investigating President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, “special counsel” status.
ABC News reported that Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, asked Garland earlier this week to be appointed special counsel and Garland agreed it was the correct course of action.
“On Tuesday of this week, Mr. Weiss advised me that in his judgment, his investigation has reached a stage at which he should continue his work as a Special Counsel, and he asked to be so appointed,” Garland said in a statement.”Upon considering his request, as well as the extraordinary circumstances relating to this matter, I have concluded it is in the public interest to appoint him as Special Counsel. This appointment confirms my commitment to provide Mr. Weiss all the resources he requests.”
Garland said that the appointment “reaffirms” to the public that Weiss “has the authority he needs to conduct a thorough investigation and to continue to take the steps he deems appropriate independently, based only on the facts and the law.”
“As Special Counsel, he will continue to have the authority and responsibility that he has exercised previously to oversee the investigation and decide where, when, and whether to file charges,” Garland added. “The Special Counsel will not be subject to the day-to-day supervision of any official of the Department, but he must comply with the regulations, procedures, and policies of the Department.”
Garland said that the appointment “affords the prosecutors, agents, and analysts working on this matter the ability to proceed with their work expeditiously, and to make decisions indisputably guided only by the facts and the law.”
This report has been updated to include additional information.
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