US attorney general appoints special counsel in Hunter Biden probe

President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden (Julio Cortez/AP)

US attorney general Merrick Garland has appointed a special counsel in the Hunter Biden probe, a surprise move that intensifies the investigation into the president’s son ahead of the 2024 election.

Mr Garland noted the “extraordinary circumstances” of the matter as he named David Weiss, the US attorney in Delaware who had already been probing Hunter Biden’s financial dealings, as special counsel after plea deal talks in the case broke down.