Garland distances himself from Hunter Biden plea deal

Attorney General Merrick Garland is attempting to distance himself from Hunter Biden’s legal woes.

When asked about accusations of a double standard within the Justice Department — critics have said that political opponents being investigated are considered for jail time while President Joe Biden’s son wasn’t — Garland on Wednesday deferred questions to the U.S. attorney overseeing the Delaware probe.

“As I said from the moment of my appointment as attorney general, I would leave this matter in the hands of the United States attorney, who was appointed by the previous president and assigned to this matter by the previous administration,” Garland said while speaking at a news conference in Sweden.

Garland said that Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss, the case’s lead prosecutor, was “given full authority to decide the matter as he decided was appropriate, and that’s what he’s done.”

“If you have any further questions about that matter, you should direct them to the U.S. attorney to explain his decision,” Garland added.

Hunter Biden reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors on Tuesday over his failure to pay about $1 million in federal taxes and his purchase of a handgun. He will likely avoid prison if he complies with the terms of the agreement.