Hunter Biden Probe Needs Independent Counsel: Peter Schweizer

Hunter Biden arrives to the inauguration of Joe Biden on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 20, 2021. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Author and investigative journalist Peter Schweizer has called for a special counsel to take on the investigation into Hunter Biden that’s being conducted in Delaware to avoid conflicts of interest.

Schweizer raised concern about the potential influence of Biden-appointed Attorney General Merrick Garland on the U.S. Attorney for Delaware who is taking charge of the inquiry.

“This is a tailor-made case for an independent counsel. It’s an investigation involving the family and the President of the United States,” Schweizer told Fox News’ “Life, Liberty & Levin” on April 29.

“The Attorney General is of course appointed by the President of the United States, and he is the one who’s going to direct this US attorney that has this grand jury in Delaware,” Schweizer, author of “Secret Empires: How the American Political Class Hides Corruption and Enriches Family and Friends” added.

Schweizer’s appeal came days after Garland pledged that the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation would proceed without political interference.

Garland told a Congressional panel on April 26 that the attorney in charge of the probe David Weiss was appointed by former President Donald Trump, and therefore, “There will not be interference of any political or improper kind.”

The DOJ investigation into Hunter Biden’s “tax affairs” is reportedly looking into whether the younger Biden violated money laundering, tax, and foreign lobbying laws. President Joe Biden has maintained that his son has done nothing wrong and that he has never discussed with Hunter his business dealings, a claim that has drawn increasing skepticism from Republican lawmakers.

Garland last week declined to say whether the department has or is considering appointing a special counsel, though he noted that special counsels are also employees of the Department of Justice.

But, in Schweizer’s opinion, the probe should be treated with special scrutiny as Hunter’s business dealings involved U.S. rivals like China.

“It’s very clear that Hunter Biden collected funds from overseas, particularly from China. There’s lots of evidence on the laptop and elsewhere, that some of that money ended up with Joe Biden, the money was fungible and moved around. It went to James Biden [Joe Biden’s brother] and others.” he said.

Entities connected to Hunter Biden in 2017 and 2018 received millions from Chinese energy giant CEFC China Energy and firms tied to the company, according to bank records revealed by senators in March.

Further, Schweizer believed that without an independent counsel, the case could be settled secretly without the public’s knowledge.

“An independent counsel would give us a report and allow the American people to look at the evidence and the information just separate from whether there’s a prosecution and what the charges might be,” he said.