David Weiss, the special prosecutor behind the high-profile investigation into Hunter Biden, has responded to criticism from President Joe Biden regarding his son’s legal case. In a report released this week, Weiss denounced claims made by the president that his son was unfairly targeted, labeling the allegations as “baseless.”
Weiss, who has led a multi-year inquiry into Hunter Biden’s actions, specifically focusing on charges of tax evasion and illegal gun possession, asserted that his prosecution was “impartial” and free from political bias. His stance directly contradicts the president’s recent comments, in which he described the legal proceedings as a “miscarriage of justice” and accused them of being politically motivated.
Hunter Biden’s legal troubles have been in the spotlight for months, culminating in his guilty pleas to tax fraud and felony gun possession earlier this year. Despite facing potentially significant prison time, his father issued a full pardon for him in December 2023. President Biden justified the clemency by stating that his son had been “singled out” for prosecution and was the target of a campaign driven by politics rather than justice.
Weiss, however, firmly rejected the idea that his investigation was driven by any external pressures. He pointed out that no other public servant involved in the case had been subjected to similar unjust accusations. “The cases were prosecuted because the law was broken,” Weiss emphasized, dismissing the claim of selective prosecution.
The controversy surrounding Hunter Biden’s legal case is further complicated by the nature of the charges. The president’s son pleaded guilty to several counts of tax fraud in September 2023 and was also convicted for illegal gun possession after admitting to purchasing a firearm while using drugs. These charges have highlighted uncomfortable aspects of his personal life, including struggles with addiction.
While Hunter Biden’s legal team criticized Weiss’s investigation, calling it an example of prosecutorial overreach, the public debate continues to rage on. Some argue that the Department of Justice showed bias toward the president’s son, while others believe the investigation was too lenient.
The pardon issued by President Biden effectively ended the legal proceedings for Hunter Biden, leaving little room for further charges. Weiss, in his final report, noted that due to the pardon, any new decisions regarding charges would be inappropriate.
