Attorney General Garland announced that Robert Hur would act as special counsel to investigate Biden’s handling of classified documents.
Video of Garland:
Attorney General Garland said:
The document authorizes him to investigate whether a person or entity violated the law in connection with this matter. The special counsel will not be subject to the day-to-day supervision of any official department, but he must comply with the
I will ensure that Mr. Hur receives all the resources he needs to conduct his work. As I have said before, I strongly believe that the normal processes of this department can handle all investigations will integrity. But under the regulations, the extraordinary circumstances here require the appointment of a special counsel for this matter. This appointment underscores the department’s commitment to independence and accountability and particularly sensitive matters for the public. And to make decisions indisputably guided only by the facts and the law.
The special counsel appointment is different from the Trump investigation because the DOJ is determining if any laws were broken in Biden’s case. Whereas with Trump the DOJ was investigating if specific violations were committed.
Republicans will not be able to claim that the DOJ is weaponized or that Trump is being unfairly investigated. If President Biden and his team did not break any laws, they have nothing to worry about.
The political optics don’t look great at the moment for Biden, but if the special counsel investigation determines that the president committed no crime and Trump ends up indicted, the story will take on a much different tone.
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It remains wrong to treat the two cases as the same, but going by the book can only help President Biden.
The special counsel appears to have been appointed to maintain the fairness and independence of the DOJ.
It is an important point because House Republicans have based the rationale for an entire House select committee on the conspiracy theory that the DOJ has been “weaponized” against conservatives.
The big loser here is Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) who will now find it difficult to impossible to get his hands on the classified documents.
The appointment of a Biden special counsel might be an uncomfortable move for Democrats today, but if the investigation finds that no laws were broken, it will help them in the 2024 election and beyond.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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