Special Counsel David Weiss changed his mind about the plea deal his office was willing to offer Hunter Biden before the agreement was later blown up in court, according to a report.
The New York Times reported that Weiss, before he was appointed as special counsel in the case, was originally willing to “to forgo any prosecution of” Hunter Biden and was close “to agreeing to end the investigation without requiring a guilty plea on any charges.”
Weiss’ position on the matter reportedly changed right around the time that two IRS agents came forward as whistleblowers and alleged that they had been stymied from pushing the Biden probe further due to pressure from higher-ups at the Department of Justice.
After the two whistleblowers came forward, Weiss demanded that Hunter Biden plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax crimes and enter a deferred prosecution agreement on a gun charge.
The report said that there were a few motivating factors behind Weiss’ decision to ask U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland earlier this month to be appointed special counsel in the case. Reasons included providing him with greater authority to investigate and prosecute, increased leverage over Hunter Biden in future negotiations, and the fact that he is now required to produce a report at the conclusion of the investigation that will allow him to respond to intense backlash he has faced from Republicans.
Garland’s appointment of Weiss to special counsel has faced backlash from many top Republicans who have accused him of trying to help Hunter Biden.
“Just seems to me that they’re going to find a way to give him some type of soft glove treatment,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is trailing only former President Donald Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primaries. “And I don’t understand why you would appoint this guy to be the special counsel. But we’ve come to expect that.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP
“And so I think that there was a lot that [Hunter Biden has] done, particularly with the corruption, that really should be pursued,” he added. “I just have not seen that. I’m not confident that this arrangement is going to lead to that, but it should.”
Related: Cruz Slams Garland Over Special Counsel Appointment In Hunter Biden Case