Garland Names Special Counsel on Trump; None for Hunter Biden

In a televised press statement on Friday afternoon, Attorney General Merrick Garland named John L. Smith as special counsel to investigate former President Trump, though he has yet to name such counsel to investigate President Biden or his son, Hunter.

Smith is the Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division at U.S. Department of Justice — one of the most highly politicized, left-wing departments within the agency.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday:

The special counsel will assess whether criminal charges are merited in connection with the handling of classified documents at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and oversee key aspects of the sprawling Justice Department investigation into efforts by Mr. Trump and his allies to overturn his 2020 election loss, according to a senior Justice Department official.

A formal announcement, which is expected by Friday afternoon, would come three days after Mr. Trump announced another bid for the presidency and would mark the naming of the third independent prosecutor in five years to examine issues involving Mr. Trump.

Earlier this week, the Washington Post reported —  nearly a week after the midterm election — that the Mar-a-Lago documents were of a personal interest and there was no indication that the former president intended to sell any national secrets. The story has largely been ignored — because it doesn’t further the narrative that Trump is a national security risk.