Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said Sunday he had confidence in Attorney General Merrick Garland’s conduct in overseeing the federal investigation into Hunter Biden, the president’s son.
“President Biden from the days he was campaigning to his first days as president made it clear that he thought restoring the independence of the Department of Justice,” Coons said on CBS’s “Face The Nation.” “I am confident that Merrick Garland has conducted himself appropriately here.”
Coons’s vote of confidence in Garland comes amid the federal criminal investigation into Hunter Biden, with U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David Weiss, a Trump-era appointee, leading the probe.
It resurfaced in headlines last week after a possible whistleblower accused the Biden administration of mishandling the investigation into potential tax crimes. The alleged whistleblower is seeking protection to testify before Congress.
Coons, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Sunday all whistleblowers seeking protection should be given that status.
“That’s part of what we’ve put in place over many years. A system that allows career folks who work in different federal agencies the chance to blow the whistle and testify if they see something wrong,” Coons said. ”I’ll remind you nothing’s been presented yet. This person hasn’t come forward in any detail. If and when they do, if there’s any substance to it, I expect that the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Dick Durbin, and the ranking member will ensure that they are fairly and appropriately treated.”
Conservatives have honed in on Hunter Biden, making him son a campaign issue when President Biden was running against then-President Trump.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers are set to meet with Weiss and others to discuss the investigation, according to CNN, which cited multiple unidentified sources.