Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday he has appointed a special counsel in the Hunter Biden probe, deepening the investigation of the president's son ahead of the 2024 election.
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00:00 Good afternoon. I'm here today to announce the appointment of David Weiss as a
00:05 special counsel consistent with the Department of Justice regulations
00:09 governing such matters. In keeping with those regulations, I have today notified
00:14 the designated members of each House of Congress of the appointment. In February
00:19 2018, after being nominated by the former president and confirmed by the Senate,
00:24 Mr. Weiss was sworn in as the United States Attorney for the District of
00:29 Delaware. Mr. Weiss had been a career prosecutor, having served previously in
00:34 the office for more than a decade. Beginning in 2019, Mr. Weiss, in his
00:40 capacity as US Attorney and along with federal law enforcement partners, began
00:45 investigating allegations of certain criminal conduct by, among others, Robert
00:50 Hunter Biden. That investigation has been recently referenced in federal criminal
00:56 proceedings in the District of Delaware and, as noted in those proceedings and
01:00 other public statements by Mr. Weiss's office, that investigation remains
01:06 ongoing. In February 2021, US Attorney Weiss was asked to remain as US Attorney
01:13 for the District of Delaware and, in that capacity, to continue to lead the
01:17 investigation. As I said before, Mr. Weiss would be permitted to continue his
01:23 investigation, take any investigative steps he wanted, and make the decision
01:28 whether to prosecute in any district. Mr. Weiss has told Congress that he has
01:34 been granted ultimate authority over this matter, including the
01:38 responsibility for deciding where, when, and whether to file charges and for
01:44 making decisions necessary to preserve the integrity of any prosecution
01:48 consistent with federal law, the principles of federal prosecution, and
01:53 departmental policies. In a July 2023 letter to Congress, Mr. Weiss said that
02:01 he had not, to that point, requested special counsel designation. On Tuesday
02:07 of this week, Mr. Weiss advised me that, in his judgment, his investigation had
02:12 reached a stage at which he should continue his work as a special counsel
02:17 and he asked to be so appointed. Upon considering his request, as well as the
02:23 extraordinary circumstances relating to this matter, I have concluded that it is
02:28 in the public interest to appoint him as special counsel. This appointment
02:33 confirms my commitment to provide Mr. Weiss all the resources he requests. It
02:39 also reaffirms that Mr. Weiss has the authority he needs to conduct a thorough
02:43 investigation and to continue to take the steps he deems appropriate
02:47 independently, based only on the facts and the law. Mr. Weiss will also continue
02:54 to serve as U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware. As special counsel,
02:59 he will continue to have the authority and responsibility that he has
03:03 previously exercised to oversee the investigation and decide where, when, and
03:09 whether to file charges. The special counsel will not be subject to the
03:14 day-to-day supervision of any official of the Department, but he must comply
03:18 with the regulations, procedures, and policies of the Department. Consistent
03:24 with the special counsel regulations, at the conclusion of Mr. Weiss's work, he
03:29 will provide me with a report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions
03:34 reached by him. As with each special counsel who has served since I have
03:39 taken office, I am committed to making as much of his report public as possible,
03:44 consistent with legal requirements and Department policy. Today's announcement
03:50 affords the prosecutors, agents, and analysts working on this matter the
03:55 ability to proceed with their work expeditiously and to make decisions
04:00 indisputably guided only by the facts and the law. The men and women
04:06 undertaking this investigation are public servants who have dedicated their
04:12 careers to protecting the citizens of this country. The appointment of Mr.
04:17 Weiss reinforces for the American people the Department's commitment to both
04:23 independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters. I am
04:29 confident that Mr. Weiss will carry out his responsibility in an even-handed and
04:34 urgent manner and in accordance with the highest traditions of this Department.
04:40 Thank you.