Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday said there will “not be interference of any political or improper kind” in the Justice Department’s investigation into Hunter Biden’s business dealings.
Senator Bill Hagerty (R., Tenn.) questioned the attorney general about the investigation into President Biden’s son during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, asking whether Garland himself had been briefed on the investigation.
Garland replied that the probe is being led by David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Wilmington, Delaware who was appointed by former President Donald Trump.
“I’m aware of that, but he reports to you,” Hagerty said.
“He is supervising the investigation and I’m not at liberty to talk about internal Justice Department deliberations, but he is in charge of that investigation,” Garland replied. “There will not be interference of any political or improper kind.”
The Wall Street Journal reported last month that a federal tax probe into the younger Biden, which first began as early as 2018, is “gaining momentum,” with prosecutors reportedly investigating his sources of foreign income. Investigators have looked into whether Hunter Biden and his associated violated money laundering, tax and foreign lobbying laws, CNN reported. However, he has not been charged with any crimes and has denied any wrongdoing.
During the hearing on Tuesday, Hagerty asked the attorney general if he thought it would be appropriate if President Biden ever called him into the Oval Office to say that his son did not break the law.
“Absolutely not. And the President has not done that. And the President is committed not to interfere, not only in that investigation but any other kind of investigation,” Garland said.
Hagerty went on to ask how the American people can be confident that Biden’s administration is conducting a serious investigation into his own son.
Garland replied: “Because we put the investigation in the hands of a Trump appointee from the previous administration.”
“And because you have me as the attorney general who is committed to the independence of the Justice Department from any influence from the White House in criminal matters,” he added.
Hagerty and Senator Mike Braun (R., Ind.) questioned Garland about the possibility of a special counsel at the Justice Department being appointed to oversee the investigation.
“The question of whether they have a special counsel is one that is an internal decision-making within the department, so I don’t want to make any judgments one way or the other,” Garland said. “But I’m quite comfortable with the United States attorney for that district continuing in the role that he’s playing.”