![The federal prosecutor who signed the “Sweetheart” plea deal worked for Hunter Biden’s business partner The federal prosecutor who signed the “Sweetheart” plea deal worked for Hunter Biden’s business partner](https://beckernews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/dsadsa-scaled.jpg)
A federal prosecutor involved in the Hunter Biden “investigation” that led to a plea deal for the president’s son had previously worked with one of Hunter’s business partners.
Derek Hines, an assistant U.S. attorney, had signed the charging documents along with Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, the Daily Mail reported. Hines had previously served as special counsel to former FBI Director Louis Freeh at his private firm, which had collaborated with Hunter on foreign business ventures now under scrutiny.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) raised alarms about the integrity of the Justice Department’s investigation after learning of the link between the federal prosecutor and Hunter’s business partner. GOP lawmakers have criticized the relatively weak charges filed against Hunter as a simple “slap on the wrist.”
“This calls into question the integrity of their investigation,” Johnson said.
Freeh and his company were previously revealed to have close ties to the Biden family, including involvement in a Romanian consulting job that is now part of a federal criminal investigation and under congressional scrutiny.
The connection between Hines, one of the lead prosecutors in Hunter’s case, and his former employer Freeh, may present a conflict of interest under federal regulations. Hines had worked for Freeh’s company, which had collaborated with Hunter Biden on several projects.
An additional report on the Hunter Biden investigation suggests more corruption in decision-making, as the DOJ official accused of blocking a broader investigation into the president’s son by an IRS whistleblower is said to be a supporter of the Biden campaign.
“Matt Graves, the DOJ official who blocked a broader investigation of Hunter and Joe Biden, is married to radical Dem activist and Kamala adviser Fatima Goss. [Graves]who is fighting for ‘gender justice’ and lobbying to remove Judge Thomas,” reported investigative reporter Paul Sperry. “FEC records show one couple gave thousands of dollars to Biden.”
The investigation into Hunter Biden’s tax crimes, which formed the basis of the recent criminal charges, allegedly involved $3 million in income from a Romanian source. The House Oversight Committee had obtained bank records showing the same $3 million flowing from Romanian accounts to the Biden family through intermediaries.
Senator Johnson criticized the integrity of the investigation and emphasized the massive conflicts these connections raise between federal prosecutors and the Biden family. The Oversight Committee is also investigating allegations related to Freeh’s connections to corruption claims surrounding the Bidens, including whistleblowers’ claims about the FBI obtaining sensitive information for Hunter’s Chinese business partners.
Garrett Ziegler, a former Trump White House staffer, claimed Freeh and Hunter had violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act by lobbying US officials without notifying the Justice Department.
Other Department of Justice (DoJ) officials involved in the Hunter Biden investigation, including Nicholas McQuaid, the former head of the DOJ’s criminal division, were also found to have ties to Hunter’s business associates. Senators Grassley and Johnson had called for McQuaid’s recusal from the Hunter Biden investigation, but did not receive a clear response from the DOJ.
The Delaware federal attorney’s office declined to comment on the matter.
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