In Delaware, the federal judge overseeing Hunter Biden’s case dismissed two misdemeanor tax charges against him on Thursday.
U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika dismissed the charges after David Weiss, the federal prosecutor leading the case against Biden, filed a motion to dismiss them last week in order to bring charges in Washington, D.C., or California.
The appointment of Weiss as a special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland occurred last Friday, in response to Weiss’s request for the role.
“On Tuesday of this week, Mr. Weiss advised me that in his judgment, his investigation had reached a stage at which he should continue his work as a special counsel, and he asked to be so appointed,” Garland said in a statement on the appointment.
The appointment of Weiss took place during the unraveling of a plea deal in the case. Hunter Biden’s legal team asserted that the government reneged on the agreement, while the Department of Justice stated that it was no longer valid due to non-approval by a probation official. This move was met with criticism from numerous Republicans. Among them, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, a GOP presidential candidate for 2024, expressed his lack of confidence in the newly designated special counsel during an interview on Fox News last week.
“Appointing David as a special counsel is like keeping the concept of a [Justice Department] protecting Democrats while hunting Republicans. I can’t think of a more forceful sign that nothing has changed,” Scott said.
