Elie Honig, CNN legal analyst, criticized the Department of Justice and Special Counsel David Weiss Monday and said they made an “unholy mess” of the investigation into Hunter Biden.
During an appearance on “CNN This Morning,” Poppy Harlow, the host, cited New York Times reporting that Weiss was initially willing to not push for any charges against the president’s son. Reporting also said that Weiss changed his stance after a “pair of IRS officials on the case accused the Justice Department of hamstringing the investigation.”
“The takeaway is that the DOJ has made an unholy mess of this whole Hunter Biden situation,” said Honig. “I fault David Weiss, who I’ve spoken positively about on this show, given his long services as a U.S. attorney.”
“But if you look at that reporting, first, he was willing to let this thing go altogether. Political pressure ramped up, and he backtracks and says, ‘Oh no, we’re going to need to make misdemeanor pleas.’ Then they go into court ready to take misdemeanor pleas, more pressure, more testimony from the IRS, and then this deal falls apart, and now he says, ‘well now I need to be called Special Counsel.'”
Weiss’ actions from Weiss have been chiefly in reaction to IRS whistleblowers
Honig said the actions from Weiss had primarily been in reaction to IRS whistleblowers. “It seems like now twice, he’s tried to make this case go away cheaply, twice been called out on it, and twice backtracked, only in response to the whistleblowers,” said Honig.
Harlow also asked Temidayo Aganga-Williams, a former senior investigative counsel for the January 6th committee, and Honig if Weiss could continue as special counsel for now.
Aganga-Williams has said he would leave it to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and argued they have likely turned over each stone in the Hunter Biden investigation as it has lasted five years.
“I think all of this raises the question, why is he being made special counsel now why two weeks ago, plus five years in,” said Honig. “David Weiss and Merrick Garland will have to explain this at some point because they have been all over the map on this; they’re not doing DOJ any favors. Frankly, they’re not doing Hunter Biden any favors, and they’re not even doing the whistleblowers any favors.”
Hunter Biden’s plea deal fell apart in a Delaware courtroom in July after federal prosecutors confirmed they continued investigating the president’s son.
On Thursday, a federal judge dismissed Hunter Biden’s misdemeanor tax charges.
The younger Biden was expected to plead guilty to the two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to enter a diversion program and pay federal income tax to address a felony gun charge as part of the plea deal to avoid serving jail time.
The Justice Department filed last week to have the case dismissed ahead of a possible trial on Biden’s felony gun charge in a different district.
