Republicans are criticizing Hunter Biden’s plea deal with the Department of Justice, calling it a “sweetheart deal” and accusing federal prosecutors of having a double standard regarding former President Donald Trump. However, Trump appointed the U.S. attorney who approved the agreement.
On Tuesday (June 20), the Department of Justice charged Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, with two crimes: failing to pay federal income tax and possessing a firearm illegally.
However, according to reporting by the Associate Press, Hunter Biden’s legal team worked out a deal with federal Prosecutors, enabling him to plead guilty to the misdemeanor tax offenses. Additionally, it is anticipated that he will agree with prosecutors on the charge of possessing a firearm as a drug user, which is a felony.
Many Republicans have criticized the agreement made in Hunter Biden’s case, viewing it as too lenient; meanwhile, the DOJ has brought forth 37 charges against Trump, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges related to the improper storage of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence, including at least one related to the U.S. military. Some Republicans believe that the Justice Department is being used as a weapon against Trump under the Biden administration.
Referencing the Hunter plea deal, Trump wrote on Truth Social that “People are going wild over the Hunter Biden Scam with the DOJ!”
However, Hunter Biden was offered the agreement by U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who was appointed to his position by Trump.
As the U.S. attorney in Delaware, Weiss initiated the Hunter Biden investigation in 2018, shortly after being appointed by Trump in 2017.
It is common for newly-elected presidents to ask previous U.S. attorneys to resign, but President Biden chose not to remove Weiss because he was investigating Hunter Biden, and removing him may result in accusations of interference.
