GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie is calling for a special counsel to be appointed to oversee investigations into the dealings of the Biden family one day after a plea deal for Hunter Biden spectacularly collapsed.
“The attorney general has to appoint a special counsel tomorrow,” Christie said on “Making Money with Charles Payne.” “Get this out of the hands of the Joe Biden Justice Department. Put it in the hands of a special counsel. That’s what should have happened right at the beginning, in my opinion. And it absolutely needs to happen now.”
“This is a charade. Get rid of US Attorney Weiss & appoint a special counsel who will investigate with competence and independence,” the former New Jersey governor said on Twitter.
DOJ REVEALS HUNTER BIDEN STILL UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION FOR POTENTIAL FARA VIOLATIONS
Christie spoke after a plea deal, in which Biden was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax and therefore avoid jail time on a felony gun charge, fell apart on Wednesday.
The judge refused to accept the deal as prosecutors revealed that the president’s son is still under federal investigation. The judge raised constitutional concerns about the diversion deal, in which Biden could be charged with the gun charge if he breached the deal.
Christie, himself a former prosecutor, agreed with the judge’s view of the deal.
“I looked at that plea deal and it made no sense. Give somebody two misdemeanor tax counts, dismiss a gun charge, and give them immunity. For what? And I think that’s exactly what the judge said, that this makes no sense,” he said.
“No one could explain it, then the government backs off and says, ‘Well, he’s not really immune for other stuff.’ The defense says, ‘Wait a second, I thought we were’ and we’re off to the races.”
Christie said a special counsel, if appointed, would have the authority of the attorney general to investigate as they see fit.
BIDEN’S NARRATIVE ON NEVER DISCUSSING BUSINESS DEALS WITH HUNTER CONTINUES TO CRUMBLE
“So the authority is incredibly broad, and he doesn’t need, or she doesn’t need the approval of anybody to bring the charges, as we’re seeing with the Special Counsel Jack Smith, on the Trump stuff,” he said. “There should be exactly the same thing.”
Christie also warned that if President Biden were involved in his son’s business dealings, it could open a lane for an impeachment inquiry.
“And what’s this mean for President Biden? More and more investigation into Hunter’s business dealings, which there should be. And if [POTUS] has any connection to them and that can be proven, then an impeachment inquiry probably would be appropriate,” he said.
The White House, meanwhile, has continued to say it respects the independence of the Justice Department and that there has been no interference from the president on behalf of his son.
“Hunter Biden is a private citizen, and this was a personal matter for him. As we have said, the president, the first lady — they love their son and they support him as he continues to rebuild his life,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday. “This case was handled independently, as all of you know, by the Justice Department under the leadership of a prosecutor appointed by the former president, President Trump.”
Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.