The Justice Department’s special counsel, David Weiss, has criticized President Joe Biden in his final report following a six-year investigation into Hunter Biden. The case was effectively closed last month when President Biden granted his son an unconditional pardon.
In the 280-page report released on Monday, January 13, Weiss condemned the president’s claims that the investigation was politically motivated and unjust. Biden had previously described his son as the victim of a “selective prosecution” and a “miscarriage of justice” while justifying the pardon.
Weiss refuted these allegations, stating, “Far from selective, these prosecutions were the embodiment of the equal application of justice – no matter who you are or what your last name is.” He added that the president’s comments undermined public confidence in the justice system and unfairly questioned the integrity of Justice Department officials.
The report also cited a federal judge who criticized President Biden for issuing the blanket pardon, accusing him of “rewriting history.” Weiss noted that the pardon shielded Hunter Biden from prosecution for any federal crimes committed between 2014 and December 2024. Consequently, Weiss refrained from analyzing whether further charges were warranted beyond the 12 tax and gun crimes Hunter Biden faced in 2023.
Hunter Biden was convicted on three counts related to illegally purchasing and possessing a firearm while using illicit drugs. Weiss, appointed by Donald Trump as the U.S. attorney for Delaware in 2018, became the first prosecutor in U.S. history to file criminal charges against the child of a sitting president.
Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, criticized Weiss’ handling of the investigation, describing it as a “cautionary tale of the abuse of prosecutorial power.” Lowell also questioned Weiss’ decision to abandon a plea agreement in 2023, attributing the reversal to political pressure.
In response to political scrutiny, Weiss emphasized that his decisions were based solely on “facts and the law” and were not influenced by public or political opinion. He expressed gratitude to Attorney General Merrick Garland for allowing his office to operate independently.
Weiss’ investigation also led to charges against Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant who falsely accused Hunter and Joe Biden of accepting $10 million in bribes from Ukraine. Smirnov was sentenced to six years in prison.
Hunter Biden, however, avoided sentencing due to the presidential pardon granted after the November election, halting further legal proceedings.
