Attorney General Merrick Garland, whom President Joe Biden appointed to head the Justice Department, announced Friday the appointment of a special prosecutor, David Weiss, to lead "the ongoing investigation" against the president's son, Hunter Biden, for non-payment of taxes, "as well as other matters that may arise from those investigations."
Weiss, who was nominated by former Republican President Donald Trump in 2017, was already investigating Hunter Biden as a federal prosecutor in Delaware. The president's son pleaded not guilty in July in court to the prosecutor's charges of non-payment of taxes.
Earlier this year, Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor charges for failing to pay income taxes. But while waiting in court last month to enter the plea, the plea was interrupted by confusion generated by a separate firearm charge.
The judge asked the parties to settle and return afterward, leaving Hunter Biden to plead not guilty while litigation.
Hunter Biden's lawyers had also indicated they believed the plea deal would resolve all matters facing the president's son, but prosecutors said other investigations were continuing.
Documents from the failed plea deal were made public last week.
Garland has already appointed two other special prosecutors since he began leading the Justice Department in 2021.
In November 2022, Garland appointed Jack Smith as special counsel to conduct two investigations into former President Donald Trump: his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents after leaving office.