Republicans demand DOJ give special counsel powers to prosecutor probing Hunter Biden

Senate Republicans are urging Attorney General Merrick Garland to confer the powers of a special counsel to the Delaware prosecutor investigating Hunter Biden for potential tax crimes and influence peddling.

In a letter sent Monday, more than 30 Senate Republicans said David Weiss, the Delaware U.S. attorney overseeing the investigation of President Biden’s oldest son, must be made a special counsel to prevent undue political interference.

“Given that the investigation involves the president’s son, we believe it is important to provide U.S. Attorney Weiss with special counsel authorities and protections to allow him to investigate an appropriate scope of potentially criminal conduct, avoid the appearance of impropriety and provide additional assurance to the American people that the Hunter Biden investigation is free from political influence,” they wrote.

GOP senators who signed the letter include John Cornyn of Texas; Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee; and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A special counsel essentially has the same powers as a U.S. attorney and remains subject to the attorney general, so it would not expand Mr. Weiss’s authority. But it would give him more independence to pursue the investigation and protect him from arbitrary firing.