When David C. Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware, asked for special counsel status, the Justice Department says Mr. Garland approved his request quickly. A widely respected federal judge before becoming attorney general, Mr. Garland has become a favorite target of House Republicans after the Justice Department launched investigations that resulted in felony charges against former President Donald J. Trump. At the heart of the issue are assurances Mr. Weiss and Mr. Garland have given to lawmakers that Mr. Weiss had ultimate authority over the Hunter Biden case and when and where to bring charges. But they have vouched generally for the statements about Mr. Weiss’ limited authority, describing a more nuanced scenario in which Mr. Weiss had sought to partner with prosecutors in Washington, D.C., and California, only to be rebuffed, causing him to try a different approach. When Mr. Weiss eventually asked for special counsel status, the Justice Department says Mr. Garland approved his request quickly.

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Persons: David C, Weiss, Garland, General Merrick B, Donald J, Biden’s, Hunter, Justice Department hadn’t, Kevin McCarthy, David Weiss, Merrick Garland’s weaponization, Biden, Hunter Biden, Gary Shapley, “, Kenny Holston, Shapley’s, Shapley, Weiss ’ Organizations: Justice Department, Republicans, Trump, Twitter, “ U.S, Committee, DOJ, Veteran, New York Times, Washington , D.C, Departmental Locations: U.S, Delaware, Washington ,, California