President Trump has expressed interest in pursuing the appointment of a special attorney for the investigation Allegations of fraud in the November election And issues related to Hunter Biden, according to people familiar with the subject.
In recent days, the president has instructed advisers to look for people who can work in such a position, one of the public, Mr. Trump’s lawsuits and other attempts and campaign to oust the founder of the election results. White House officials and friends of the president in Capitol Hill and elsewhere have also been pressing for the appointment of a special attorney, another person familiar with the talks said.
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told the public that the president is interested in pursuing a special attorney to investigate election fraud and wants to act quickly.
Attorney General William Barr said the Justice Department had not found evidence of widespread fraud to thwart the election.
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Frustrated by Attorney General William Barr’s investigation into Mr Biden’s business and financial affairs, senior White House officials discussed the possibility of pursuing a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden, and raised concerns that Mr Biden’s son Hunter would not rule out any investigations into Joe Biden’s attempts to shut down the incoming administration. Said one of the officers.
The White House refused. A spokesman for Mr. Barr declined to comment. A spokesman for the Biden Transition Team declined to comment. According to people familiar with the matter, Joe Biden was not implicated in Hunter Biden’s investigations.
In recent months, Trump has expressed frustration with his attorney general, both privately and publicly, as attempts by the president and his supporters to manipulate the election have repeatedly failed. The Supreme Court on Friday denied the allegations The Texas Attorney General has filed a lawsuit seeking the annulment of 20 million votes in four key states. It is the latest in a string of losses in dozens of federal and state courts, accusing President-elect Joe Biden of manipulating to overcome his victory.
Mr. Barr’s statement that the Department of Justice No evidence of widespread electoral fraud was found Mr Biden’s victory provoked the president, aides said, and Trump has publicly accused the Justice Department of involvement in alleged electoral fraud. A federal agency responsible for election security and organizations representing top election officials across the country also felt the election should not be marred.
Mr. Trump, at a meeting Friday, learned about the Wall Street Journal report on the federal investigation into Hunter Biden before Mr. Barr’s election. But worked to avoid public disclosure, Said the person who knew about the conversation. At this meeting, Trump thought about firing Mr. Bar, and people who knew about the conversation said it was unclear whether Mr. Trump wanted to follow suit.
Aides and allies have been urging the president not to shoot Mr Barr for months. For his part, the attorney general told colleagues he wants to stay on the job if he is not fired.
According to Department of Justice regulations, the appointment of a special attorney is required by the Attorney General. A special attorney will be appointed to continue the investigation with an independent level that is not subject to the day-to-day supervision of agency officials and will only dismiss the Attorney General for misconduct or conflict of interest.
After appointing another prosecutor in October as special counsel to continue his investigation into the origins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s 2016 Russia investigation, Mr Barr’s associates said it was unlikely he would name anyone for such a position. He revealed the appointment earlier this month, Has been silent for more than a month to avoid affecting the November elections.
Mr Trump and some Republican lawmakers have been urging the Justice Department to investigate Hunter Biden and his business dealings for months, intensifying as the November election approaches. Mr. Barr and other Justice Department officials rejected the requests of several Republican lawmakers ahead of the election. Another man said the department was investigating Mr Biden.
Hunter Biden revealed earlier this week He learned of the federal investigation into his tax affairs. He said he acted legally and appropriately.
On Friday, Mr Biden said in response to questions from reporters, “I’m proud of my son.
Increasing pressure on Mr Barr, more than two dozen Republican lawmakers signed a letter to Mr Trump earlier this week calling for the attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate “fraud in the 2020 election.” The effort was led by Republican Lance Gooden (R., Texas), who said it was “a special suggestion to bring to light what happened in the 2020 election.”
A congressional spokesman said Mr Gooden had not discussed his proposal directly with Mr Trump. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment.
The president retweeted several tweets about the letter on Thursday, calling the effort “great.”
The Hunter Biden investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware, led by David Weiss. Mr. Wise has been a prosecutor in that office for years and an overseer there for much of the Obama administration. Mr. Trump was backed by his native Democratic senators for being nominated for the top job in 2017, according to local media reports at the time.
Write to it Aruna Vishwanatha Aruna.viswanathaws.com, Rebecca Ballhaus Rebecca.ballhaws.com and Sadie Gurman at [email protected]
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