House Republicans Spar with Attorney General Garland over Alleged Bias in Hunter Biden Investigation

House Republicans clashed with Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday during a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee. The Republicans accused Garland and the Justice Department of favoring President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, and weaponizing the department's work. They claimed that while the department is protecting President Biden, it is attacking former President Donald Trump. Garland, however, defended the Justice Department, stating that their job is not to take orders from anyone about who or what to investigate. He emphasized that he is not the president's lawyer or Congress's prosecutor, but rather, the Justice Department works for the American people.

The main focus of the Republicans' questioning was the investigation into Hunter Biden and allegations that the Justice Department interfered in the case. Garland maintained that he purposely kept his distance from the investigation to avoid any appearance of interference. He also revealed that he did not recall whether he had talked with anyone at FBI headquarters about the Hunter Biden investigation. The hearing took place at a crucial time for the Justice Department, with Garland overseeing two cases, one against Trump and another against Hunter Biden.

It also comes shortly after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy initiated an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, specifically focusing on the Justice Department's handling of Hunter Biden's case. The White House has dismissed the impeachment inquiry as baseless, while Hunter Biden's legal team has taken a defensive stance, including filing a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. Republicans argued that both the Trump and Biden administrations failed to fully investigate the allegations against Hunter Biden, including his involvement with Burisma and his tax filings.

Garland defended his decision to keep the U.S. Attorney for Delaware, David Weiss, who was appointed by Trump, in charge of the investigation to avoid political interference. He granted Weiss special counsel status, giving him broad authority to carry out the probe independently. Despite the heated exchanges between Republicans and Garland, one Republican, Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, came to his defense.

Buck acknowledged the challenging situation Garland faced inheriting an investigation into the president's son and stated that he would have been criticized regardless of his actions. The hearing shed light on the deep political divisions surrounding the investigations into Trump and Hunter Biden, with Republicans accusing the Justice Department of bias and favoritism. Democrats, on the other hand, sought to focus on other criminal justice issues such as domestic terrorism, hate crimes, and gun violence. The clash between Republicans and Garland underscores the ongoing contentious relationship between the two parties regarding the handling of high-profile investigations.