Some of President Joe Biden’s aides have begun to distrust Attorney General Merrick Garland as the Hunter Biden investigation and Joe Biden’s classified documents probe remain ongoing, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports.
The Biden aides view Garland’s decisions in the Biden family investigations as designed to make the probes appear insulated from political pressure, instead of being motivated by impartial justice, people familiar with the matter told WSJ. Hunter Biden was indicted on three federal gun charges Thursday and faces a maximum of 25 years in prison. (RELATED: Biden-Appointed Prosecutors Did Not Cooperate In Hunter Biden Case, FBI Agent Testifies)
BREAKING: Hunter Biden indicted on felony gun charge in Delaware @DailyCaller https://t.co/bNIEKo3spL pic.twitter.com/U4tCv00rz8
— James Lynch (@jameslynch32) September 14, 2023
A spokesperson for the White House told WSJ Biden appointed Garland “because of his decades of fidelity to the rule of law consistent with his commitment when he ran for president to restore the independence of the Justice Department, free from political interference.”
Garland’s allies say he is insulating the Biden probes rather than bending to political pressure. President Biden has been deferential to the Justice Department in response to questions about the Hunter Biden case.
“He’s doing what the president asked him to do, and that is restore justice to DOJ, and follow the facts and follow the law and keep the politics out of decision-making,” former Garland spokesperson Anthony Coley told the WSJ.
President Biden’s allies were reportedly hopeful the Hunter Biden investigation would be resolved by his plea deal, which collapsed in a July court appearance after Delaware U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika scrutinized an immunity clause inside the pretrial diversion agreement for Biden’s felony gun charge.
As a result, Biden’s defense counsel and DOJ special attorney Leo Wise got into a dispute about the scope of the immunity provision and Biden pleaded not guilty to two tax misdemeanors. His legal team has argued the diversion agreement is legally binding, while the DOJ believes the agreement was never put into place.
In August, Garland appointed Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss special counsel in the Hunter Biden case. IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler accused Justice Department investigators of giving Hunter Biden special treatment under Weiss’ leadership prior to his special counsel designation.
Some White House aides believes Garland mismanaged the Hunter Biden inquiry after the plea deal collapsed and Weiss was appointed special counsel, according to the WSJ. The aides also believe Garland should have taken a more firm posture after Shapley and Ziegler came forward. Hunter Biden’s legal team has accused the whistleblowers of illegal disclosures in their Congressional testimony and media appearances. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Reps. Mary Miller, Marjorie Taylor Greene Demand Update From DOJ On Joe Biden’s Classified Documents Case)
Special counsel Robert Hur, who is investigating Joe Biden for potentially mishandling classified documents, has been negotiating with President Biden’s team for weeks over a potential interview, people familiar with the matter told the WSJ. Joe Biden previously denied a news report that Hur’s team was seeking to interview the president.
Hur was appointed in January after classified documents were found at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C. and Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware residence.
The House Ways and Means, Oversight and Judiciary Committees continue to investigate the IRS whistleblower accusations and they will be leading the impeachment inquiry into President Biden, Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday. House Oversight is also investigating Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings and the alleged role Joe Biden played in them.