Reps. Chris Stewart and Blake Moore are among 95 House Republicans who signed a letter calling for Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel to investigate the foreign business dealings of President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter.
An investigation into whether Hunter Biden had improperly paid his taxes began during the Obama administration and widened in 2018. His work for foreign companies and interests has come under scrutiny amid questions about whether he violated tax laws or acted as an unregistered foreign lobbyist over the previous decade.
Parts of the investigation are tied to emails found on a laptop purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden just before the 2020 election. At the time, its authenticity could not be verified. Only recently have major news organizations been able to verify emails on the computer.
A federal grand jury has heard testimony about payments to Biden made while he was serving on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.
The letter from House Republicans says an independent counsel is needed to ensure the investigation is free of political entanglements.
“We believe that in the case of Hunter Biden, a Special Counsel must be appointed to preserve the integrity of this investigation and any subsequent prosecution. A Special Counsel would also ensure there is no bias in the investigation or undue influence from the White House,” the letter reads.
House members point out Garland was nominated to his current position by President Joe Biden, which could create a conflict of interest. They argue Garland should apply the same standard that led to the Mueller investigation into former President Donald Trump’s campaign.
“President Trump and his Administration endured closer scrutiny from the Department of Justice for lesser accusations. The then-Attorney General appointed a Special Counsel to investigate President Trump based on the Steele Dossier: a salacious and unverified political smear campaign,” they write. “It was argued then that a Special Counsel was necessary because the Department could not be seen to impartially investigate the sitting President. This same standard applies here.”
On Tuesday, Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee questioned Garland about whether he had been briefed on the ongoing investigation into Biden by the US Attorney’s office in Delaware. Garland declined to comment, saying he was not at liberty to discuss internal Justice Department discussions.
“There will not be interference of any political or improper kind,” Garland reassured the panel.
Stewart and Moore’s offices did not respond to a request for comment.
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