Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie slammed the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into Hunter Biden on Sunday as “incompetent,” advising the Republican Party not to stop making noise about it.
After a lengthy investigation into his tax record, Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, accepted a plea deal from the Justice Department last month, agreeing to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges for failing to pay income taxes on time. A charge of illegal possession of a firearm is also at stake, but it could be dropped as part of a future deal.
Christopher J. Clark, an attorney for Hunter Biden, said news week in a statement last month: “…I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a turbulent and addictive period in his life. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”
Despite the fact that the president’s son agreed to accept the charges, and despite the fact that the case was overseen by a US attorney appointed by former Republican President Donald Trump, many within the Republican Party have denounced the situation, accusing President Biden or his administration of intervening in the case to get his son a “sexy deal” with lesser charges than he deserved. In response, numerous Justice Department officials have strongly denied those allegations, with the attorney in charge of the case, David Weiss, stating that he had full authority to bring whatever charges he saw fit.
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news week He reached out to Weiss’s office via email for comment.
Appearing on CBS News’ Take on the Nation On Sunday, Christie, who is currently seeking the 2024 Republican nomination for president, called Weiss’s handling of the case “incompetent and inexplicable” when asked by host Margaret Brennan whether Republicans should drop the issue altogether.
“The conduct here of the United States Attorney in Delaware and the Department of Justice simply cannot be justified,” the former governor said. “It doesn’t take five years to investigate two misdemeanor tax charges and dismiss a weapons charge, and we need to know what they were investigating and why these are the charges they concluded. This isn’t just anyone, this is the son of the President of the United States. And while justice should be equitable… I don’t think this is the way to do it.”
He went on, noting that the gun charge against Hunter Biden for intentionally lying about his status on a permit application typically carries a 10-year prison sentence. He also hinted at hypocrisy among Democrats for not speaking out more against that particular charge, given their regular calls for stricter gun control laws.
On Hunter Biden’s plea deal on tax and gun charges, @ChrisChristie says @margbrennan, “I don’t think it’s time to move on.” Christie says the US attorney’s work in Delaware “appears to be incompetent and inexplicable” and that he “owes the American people an explanation.” pic.twitter.com/yiM4Z4gJzI
— Face the Nation (@FaceTheNation) July 23, 2023
Brennan then pointed out that Weiss is a Trump-appointed Republican, a common argument made by many who believe the investigation into the president’s son was conducted fairly. Others believe that Weiss, unlike other US prosecutors, was not replaced by a new appointee when President Biden took office to prevent him from showing up trying to influence the case. However, Christie dismissed that argument, insisting that Weiss’s work was incompetent.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re nominated by a Republican or a Democrat,” Christie continued. “If your work appears to be incompetent and inexplicable, you need to explain it so we can have confidence in our justice system. And I don’t care if Mr. Weiss is a Republican or a Democrat, he owes the American people an explanation.”