Delaware
Who Is David Weiss, The Special Counsel Investigating Hunter Biden?
Topline
U.S. Attorney David Weiss was named special counsel for an investigation into Hunter Biden by Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday, as Weiss—who was appointed as U.S. attorney by former President Donald Trump—has a nearly 40-year law career with experience as a federal prosecutor.
U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss was named special counsel in a probe into Hunter Biden.
Key Facts
Weiss was sworn in as the U.S. attorney for the District of Delaware in February 2018, following recommendations from Sens. Tom Carper (D) and Chris Coons (D), and was noted by Trump for sharing his vision for “Making America Safe Again.”
His legal career started in 1984 as a clerk for Justice Andrew Christie in the Delaware Supreme Court, according to the Justice Department, after graduating from Washington University in St. Louis and Widener University School of Law.
Weiss then served as an assistant U.S. attorney starting in 1986 while handling cases of violent crimes and white-collar offenses.
Weiss—who is a member of the Delaware and Pennsylvania bar associations—stepped aside as a prosecutor to join the Philadelphia-based Duane Morris law firm in 1989, before joining the Wilmington-based Siegfried Group in 1999, where he served as chief operating officer and senior vice president.
Weiss then served his first stint as first assistant U.S. attorney for Delaware between 2007 and 2009 before serving as both the acting and interim U.S. attorney for Delaware from 2009 to 2011, and then a second stint between 2012 and 2018.
As a federal prosecutor, both Carper and Coons credited Weiss with handling cases involving corruption, money laundering, drug offenses and securing federal funding for combating drug trafficking in Delaware, according to the News Journal.
Tangent
Weiss has previously served as a prosecutor in other politically ensnared court cases. Weiss represented the family of Anne Marie Fahey, who was killed in 1996 while serving as a secretary to Carper, who at the time was Delaware governor. Former Delaware deputy attorney general Thomas Capano was convicted of first-degree murder in Fahey’s death three years later. In 2008, Weiss oversaw the prosecution of Christopher Tigani, a beer distributor who was accused of soliciting illegal donations for President Joe Biden’s failed presidential campaign, according to Politico. Tigani was sentenced to two years in prison for campaign finance violations in 2012, according to the Newark Post.
Chief Critic
A spokesperson for Trump said Friday that Weiss “failed to bring proper charges after a four-year investigation” and that Weiss “appears to be trying to move the case to a more Democrat-friendly venue.” Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee released a statement suggesting Weiss “can’t be trusted” and had “already signed off on a sweetheart plea deal that was so awful and unfair.” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)—chair of the House Judiciary Committee—said “something’s not right” about Weiss’ appointment as special counsel. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said Weiss is a “sham special counsel.”
Key Background
Weiss has led the Justice Department’s investigation into Hunter Biden since 2018. The probe initially investigated Biden’s foreign business dealings before expanding to his purchase of a .38 revolver. In 2018, Biden allegedly failed to disclose the firearm purchase in a questionnaire that asked about his drug addiction. Biden and Weiss’s office announced in June that Biden would plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges for failing to file taxes in 2017 and 2018, though he later pleaded not guilty after a plea agreement fell apart. The deal collapsed after prosecutors said in court that Biden could face further charges, reportedly including a violation of the Foreign Registration Act, which requires disclosures about relationships with people involving foreign interests. Weiss requested special counsel status on Tuesday, according to Garland, after Weiss told Senate Republicans in July he had yet to request the designation.
Further Reading
Special Counsel Named In Hunter Biden Investigation As Case Likely Going To Trial, Prosecutors Say (Forbes)
Hunter Biden Plea Deal Unravels As He Pleads Not Guilty (Forbes)
Hunter Biden Plea Agreement Documents Made Public (Forbes)