WEBVTT - Instant Reaction: Hunter Biden Probe to Be Assigned to Special Counsel

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<v Speaker 1>We have breaking news right now.

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<v Speaker 2>Hunter Biden has been assigned a special counsel by the

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<v Speaker 2>Department of Justice.

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<v Speaker 1>That is a bombshell.

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<v Speaker 2>The Department of Justice has assigned a special counsel to

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<v Speaker 2>the Hunter Biden probe. That special council is going to

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<v Speaker 2>be David Weiss. So that was Merrick Garland you just

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<v Speaker 2>heard giving the announcement there, but not sticking around for

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<v Speaker 2>any Q and A. It's interesting, simone, they now have

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<v Speaker 2>a special counsel investigating former President Donald Trump and have

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<v Speaker 2>brought in a new special counsel, David Weiss, who's going

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<v Speaker 2>to be investigating the current president's son, Hunter Biden. But

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<v Speaker 2>of course essentially the GOP wants to through Hunter get

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<v Speaker 2>to President Biden with this.

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<v Speaker 3>Clearly, it's interesting here as well that David Weiss, he

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<v Speaker 3>is the guy that had been handling the probe as

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<v Speaker 3>a US attorney in Delaware. Garland saying he was the

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<v Speaker 3>one who requested this appointment. You know, that investigation, that

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<v Speaker 3>probe had been dragging on for many, many years. So

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<v Speaker 3>it's interesting to see what we believed. I think that

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<v Speaker 3>it was wrapping up to a degree, and then there

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<v Speaker 3>was that failure to enter that plea agreement in court recently.

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<v Speaker 2>A shocking failure there as well. And the question is

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<v Speaker 2>was the investigation dragging on or were they dragging the

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<v Speaker 2>investigation as a one I guess whistleblower had testified. Let's

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<v Speaker 2>get to Ryan Tague Beck with right now on the phone,

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<v Speaker 2>political reporter at Bloomberg News. Ryan, this is definitely a

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<v Speaker 2>shocking headline to see come across. How expected was this

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<v Speaker 2>in Washington?

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<v Speaker 4>Now?

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<v Speaker 5>This is totally unexpected. I mean, I think, you know,

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<v Speaker 5>obviously there had been sort of persistent questions about unter

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<v Speaker 5>Biden that Republicans have been trying to sort of forefront.

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<v Speaker 5>But I think that their hope among Democrats had been

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<v Speaker 5>that Hunter Biden could kind of sort out his legal

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<v Speaker 5>problems and put that to an end. When that plea

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<v Speaker 5>bargain fell apart, that really kind of put things up

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<v Speaker 5>in the air. And I was a little bit uncertain

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<v Speaker 5>why it had fallen apart. But this just sort of

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<v Speaker 5>creates a whole new world of hassle for Hunter Biden

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<v Speaker 5>and concerned for Democrats that you don't know where a

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<v Speaker 5>special Council investigation can lead.

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<v Speaker 3>What's changed here? I mean, I thought these these investigators

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<v Speaker 3>have been looking into Hunter Biden for years. Is this

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<v Speaker 3>simply a political move or is this maybe maybe to

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<v Speaker 3>maintain this image of separation between the administration or is

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<v Speaker 3>this ye? Do we think that they found something new

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<v Speaker 3>that they just haven't investigated?

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<v Speaker 5>I mean, I still don't think that there has been

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<v Speaker 5>a nun ugh material there from all of the investigations

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<v Speaker 5>that have happened to really prove that something untoward or

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<v Speaker 5>extremely bad happened.

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<v Speaker 1>Right, But there's prove is going a long way?

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<v Speaker 3>Is yes?

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, all we need is the appearance of impropriety.

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<v Speaker 5>Yes, there's enough to raise the question, and the question

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<v Speaker 5>has been raised repeatedly, and there've been investigations. I think

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<v Speaker 5>what the special council is a move that you make

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<v Speaker 5>when there's just been too much question about how you

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<v Speaker 5>are investigating it for you to credibly continue to say, no,

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<v Speaker 5>we did this all above board, and it's sort of

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<v Speaker 5>a way of insulating yourself from that an investigation. Then

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<v Speaker 5>you hand it over to a special council. That person

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<v Speaker 5>goes and takes it and runs with it wherever they're

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<v Speaker 5>going to go. And you may not like where they go,

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<v Speaker 5>but at least it's no longer your decision, and so

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<v Speaker 5>I'm I'm a little surprised that they took this move,

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<v Speaker 5>especially now, But I think that with the whistleblowers and

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<v Speaker 5>with just sort of the clear sense that this was

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<v Speaker 5>going to continue to be a political goal, saying no

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<v Speaker 5>matter where the cases went, that this was sort of

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<v Speaker 5>the best approach to show the public that like, Okay,

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<v Speaker 5>this is we're not you know, sacking the deck here,

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<v Speaker 5>this is being fairly investigated.

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<v Speaker 2>So what do we know that they'll be investigating. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>he had planned as far as I know, on pleading

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<v Speaker 2>guilty to a tax evasion charge. I don't know if

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<v Speaker 2>that phrase is too heavy, but not paying taxes for

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<v Speaker 2>a while and or not paying enough, and to claiming

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<v Speaker 2>to be sober when he bought a gun in twenty

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<v Speaker 2>eighteen when he in fact wasn't sober.

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<v Speaker 1>Is that the only thing? Or is there more?

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<v Speaker 5>Well? I mean keep in mind that, like you know,

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<v Speaker 5>Bill Clinton was impeached over an affair like as the

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<v Speaker 5>end result of a special counsel that was looking into

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<v Speaker 5>a real estate deal. So you know, the special counsel

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<v Speaker 5>can go wherever they think the evidence leads them. And

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<v Speaker 5>as we s you know, as we said, like there's

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<v Speaker 5>a lot of stuff out there that we've heard about.

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<v Speaker 5>That case, you know, kind of shady like, doesn't look great,

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<v Speaker 5>maybe doesn't rise to the level of criminality, but who

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<v Speaker 5>knows where they will go, you know. So the last

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<v Speaker 5>thing you want ever is a special council on your trail,

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<v Speaker 5>because they can turn over any stone they want and

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<v Speaker 5>there's really not any There's not any way to rein

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<v Speaker 5>them in. That's the whole point. So so this investigation

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<v Speaker 5>could go anywhere, or it could be that they go,

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<v Speaker 5>they look through all the stuff they had, they spend

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<v Speaker 5>a little bit more time investigating, and they could wrap

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<v Speaker 5>it all up. And that has happened before. There was

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<v Speaker 5>a Cabinet secretary who was had a special council and

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<v Speaker 5>that at the very end of it, they basically said, yeah,

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<v Speaker 5>there was nothing here. There was never anything here. We

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<v Speaker 5>just you know, we turned it all over, we looked

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<v Speaker 5>at all of it and there was nothing. So that

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<v Speaker 5>can also happen.

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<v Speaker 2>Ryan, I want you to stick with us. Ryan Teague

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<v Speaker 2>beck with there from Bloomberg News in Washington. I want

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<v Speaker 2>to bring in June Grosso. He's a legal analyst from

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<v Speaker 2>Bloomberg Television, Bloomberg Radio here with us in the Interactive

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<v Speaker 2>Broker Studio June. This is no doubt a surprising twist

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<v Speaker 2>of events and just I think a couple of weeks ago.

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<v Speaker 1>We expected this all to wrap up with a plea agreement.

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<v Speaker 6>What happened to that, Well, Hunter Biden walked into a

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<v Speaker 6>Delaware courtroom expecting to walk out with a plea agreement

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<v Speaker 6>and the judge questioned the deal. It was very strange,

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<v Speaker 6>first of all, because the prosecutors in defense appeared and

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<v Speaker 6>they didn't have the details of the deal nailed down,

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<v Speaker 6>and they there was confusion about whether he was getting

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<v Speaker 6>full immunity from any charges or not. And the judge

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<v Speaker 6>noticed that and said, go back and come back when

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<v Speaker 6>you have a deal hammered out, and when you know

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<v Speaker 6>what the immunity is that he's getting. Because Hunter Biden said, well,

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<v Speaker 6>if I'm not getting immunity, she asked him, would you

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<v Speaker 6>agree to this deal if you're not getting immunity for

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<v Speaker 6>other offenses? And he said no. It was a very

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<v Speaker 6>odd proceeding from the start.

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<v Speaker 3>And that's why you take a plea agreement for well,

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<v Speaker 3>not the only reason, but typically a lot of defendants

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<v Speaker 3>take a plea agreement because they want it to be

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<v Speaker 3>over and done with and they want to wipe their

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<v Speaker 3>hands and walk away. How does this work logistically from

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<v Speaker 3>an invest you're moving the investigation from Delaware to a

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<v Speaker 3>special counsel. Are there any ways that the investigation would change?

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<v Speaker 6>You know, I'm not sure. This is so surprising because

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<v Speaker 6>you know, it's been said time and again that this

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<v Speaker 6>didn't need to be a special counsel, that he had

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<v Speaker 6>all the powers that he needed. So in this case,

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<v Speaker 6>he'll have and you know, he'll have much more resources,

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<v Speaker 6>he can get more people on board, and it'll be

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<v Speaker 6>totally separate from the Delaware office, which I think it

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<v Speaker 6>was anyway. But so Andy, he'll have jurisdiction, wider jurisdiction,

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<v Speaker 6>and so he can go And as Ryan was saying,

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<v Speaker 6>you know, think about the proceeding that's been going on

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<v Speaker 6>forever that started under Donald Trump, the special Council there,

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<v Speaker 6>the Durham, which has been going on for years and

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<v Speaker 6>has resulted in losses at trial and just one plea agreement.

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<v Speaker 6>So the problem with a special council is they have

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<v Speaker 6>rope and a lot of them take it and run

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<v Speaker 6>with it, and it goes on and on and on.

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<v Speaker 6>When it should have been wrapped up. But this way

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<v Speaker 6>he'll do a report at the end. He you know,

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<v Speaker 6>allegedly he doesn't have to answer to the Attorney general,

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<v Speaker 6>but from all that was said, he wasn't answering anyway.

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<v Speaker 6>So I think this is just being done for political purposes,

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<v Speaker 6>really to have the appearance of independence. And you know

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<v Speaker 6>that so that the Republicans in Congress, well, i'd say,

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<v Speaker 6>can't but are less likely to attack some of the

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<v Speaker 6>decisions that are made here. But as far as you

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<v Speaker 6>know what's gone on, it's just been a little bit strange,

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<v Speaker 6>i'd say, And this makes it even more.

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<v Speaker 2>And I mean, you know, where there's smoke, there's fire

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<v Speaker 2>in many cases. And even if there's no fire here

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<v Speaker 2>yet we can agree that there's a lot of smoke, right,

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<v Speaker 2>I mean.

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<v Speaker 6>There is a lot of smoke.

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<v Speaker 1>Is clearly has clearly.

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<v Speaker 2>Attempted to leverage his the powerful position his father is

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<v Speaker 2>in has for years to make money and for that's

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<v Speaker 2>money and I know that's not illegal, and many president's

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<v Speaker 2>family members have done it in the past, right, But no,

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<v Speaker 2>I don't want to make this what about other people?

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<v Speaker 2>The question is, did have the Republicans moved the ball

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<v Speaker 2>any further and attempting to prove that there was actually

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<v Speaker 2>some kickbacks for the Big Gun.

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<v Speaker 6>No they haven't, that's what they want to prove, but

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<v Speaker 6>they have it. And the problem is all the smoke

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<v Speaker 6>around Hunter Biden. So this deal that they gave him,

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<v Speaker 6>based on those charges from the attorneys that I've spoken to,

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<v Speaker 6>who are you know, expert in this area, that deal

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<v Speaker 6>wasn't necessarily a sweetheart deal. It wasn't. In fact, some

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<v Speaker 6>people who were in that position might not have even

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<v Speaker 6>been prosecuted, so they would have made it, you know,

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<v Speaker 6>a plea agreement and just not gone to jail like that.

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<v Speaker 6>The tax charges where he paid the tax ahead of time,

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<v Speaker 6>and the gun charges, a lot of people don't even

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<v Speaker 6>get prosecuted on those. So it wasn't a sweetheart deal.

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<v Speaker 6>But all the smoke around it, and all the Republican

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<v Speaker 6>inquiries and also the whistleblowers who testified that you know,

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<v Speaker 6>there was something wrong with the investigation, that all has

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<v Speaker 6>created a lot of smoke, and now it has to

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<v Speaker 6>be you know, has to be solved. And you know,

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<v Speaker 6>most of the smoke is about his leveraging his father's name.

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<v Speaker 6>But there hasn't been any proof that Biden was part

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<v Speaker 6>of that. And also, you know, talk about Washington, how much.

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<v Speaker 1>It seemed to come into conference calls and meetings quite

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<v Speaker 1>a lot.

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<v Speaker 6>I don't talk about, though, how much leveraging like nepotism

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<v Speaker 6>in this country. The country runs by nepotism. I mean

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<v Speaker 6>it's like, how many people do you know whose fathers

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<v Speaker 6>were you know, CEOs of organizations that they're in actors, actresses.

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<v Speaker 6>I mean, it's ever news business, it's everywhere and then

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<v Speaker 6>and then.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, you know you think Trump administration, there were

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<v Speaker 3>there were daughters and son in laws who are very

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<v Speaker 3>close to the business. I don't want to go I

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<v Speaker 3>don't want to go nowhere.

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<v Speaker 6>I don't want to go to the what about?

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<v Speaker 3>But I wonder how many special councils we truly need?

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<v Speaker 2>Right again, this administration was supposed to not be doing

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<v Speaker 2>things the Trump administration was doing.

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<v Speaker 1>That was kind of the idea, Well.

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<v Speaker 6>That Trump How many special councils did the Trump administration have?

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<v Speaker 2>So we're going to come back to question. This is

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<v Speaker 2>I think all of a sudden made your day a

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<v Speaker 2>lot busier. I want to get back to the breaking

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<v Speaker 2>news that we have Hunter Biden, the hunter Biden probe

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<v Speaker 2>over the DOJ has been assigned a special council. So

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<v Speaker 2>we saw briefly Merrick Garland come out and make a

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<v Speaker 2>statement appointing this special council to oversee the government's ongoing

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<v Speaker 2>criminal investigation into President Biden's son over his taxes, as

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<v Speaker 2>well as a number of other issues. Certainly the Republicans

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<v Speaker 2>hope there will be another number of other issues there.

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<v Speaker 2>We have Nick Ackerman on the phone right now. He's

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<v Speaker 2>a former assistant special Watergate prosecutor, and Nick, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>typically we would talk to you about all things Trump.

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<v Speaker 2>Increasingly these conversations are about the Biden family, certainly about

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<v Speaker 2>Hunter Biden. We thought it was all going to be

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<v Speaker 2>over a couple of weeks ago with the plea agreement,

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<v Speaker 2>and now it's come to this.

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<v Speaker 1>Are you surprised?

0:12:22.400 --> 0:12:25.520
<v Speaker 4>Not completely. I was surprised that the plea didn't go

0:12:25.640 --> 0:12:29.360
<v Speaker 4>down on the day it was supposed to, but since

0:12:29.400 --> 0:12:32.080
<v Speaker 4>then this is not at all surprising. I think it

0:12:32.120 --> 0:12:36.280
<v Speaker 4>was pretty clear at that point that debtly would not

0:12:36.480 --> 0:12:40.199
<v Speaker 4>have taken care of all the other matters that might

0:12:40.240 --> 0:12:44.800
<v Speaker 4>be under investigation, and I think that Merrick Garland did

0:12:44.840 --> 0:12:48.080
<v Speaker 4>the right thing. Appointed Weiss had made it official that

0:12:48.120 --> 0:12:51.720
<v Speaker 4>he's really a special prosecutor in this thing and that

0:12:51.800 --> 0:12:55.880
<v Speaker 4>he has complete independence as he had before. And I

0:12:55.880 --> 0:12:59.520
<v Speaker 4>think it just solidifies that. Don't forget he was appointed

0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:03.320
<v Speaker 4>initially as the US attorney in Delaware, Yeah, by Donald Trump.

0:13:04.840 --> 0:13:09.040
<v Speaker 4>So I think this just you know, provides more a

0:13:09.120 --> 0:13:12.679
<v Speaker 4>distance between the Department of Justice and the prosecutor.

0:13:13.760 --> 0:13:16.440
<v Speaker 3>But does it give him any extra tools. I just

0:13:16.880 --> 0:13:20.959
<v Speaker 3>you know, it seems like an investigation had had been

0:13:21.000 --> 0:13:24.160
<v Speaker 3>happening for a long time. All the members of the

0:13:24.200 --> 0:13:27.360
<v Speaker 3>Biden administration had had said, you know, Mary Gurland's given

0:13:27.440 --> 0:13:31.760
<v Speaker 3>him a bunch of tools whatever he wants. But now

0:13:31.880 --> 0:13:35.680
<v Speaker 3>you know the escalation here. June Grassa was just with us,

0:13:35.720 --> 0:13:37.880
<v Speaker 3>she's a legal analyst at Bloomberg Law, and was saying,

0:13:37.920 --> 0:13:40.680
<v Speaker 3>you know, this looks like political move plain and simple.

0:13:41.679 --> 0:13:44.520
<v Speaker 4>Well, I think it's it's part of what Merrick Garland

0:13:44.520 --> 0:13:46.760
<v Speaker 4>has done all around. I mean, he has tried on

0:13:46.840 --> 0:13:52.520
<v Speaker 4>these types of cases that affects the administration and particularly

0:13:52.640 --> 0:13:56.199
<v Speaker 4>Joe Biden, to put make sure that the person who's

0:13:56.200 --> 0:13:59.840
<v Speaker 4>doing the investigation, whether it's Jack Smith or whether it's wise,

0:14:00.480 --> 0:14:03.480
<v Speaker 4>that they are completely independent. I mean, I think what

0:14:04.840 --> 0:14:08.560
<v Speaker 4>Garland is trying to do is basically used the model

0:14:08.960 --> 0:14:13.719
<v Speaker 4>of Archibald Cox, who has made the first Watergate Special prosecutor,

0:14:13.760 --> 0:14:18.760
<v Speaker 4>where he really had total independence, wasn't answerable to the

0:14:18.800 --> 0:14:22.960
<v Speaker 4>Department of Justice. And I think that's what Mark Garland

0:14:23.000 --> 0:14:25.800
<v Speaker 4>is trying to set up, so that there is complete

0:14:25.840 --> 0:14:31.360
<v Speaker 4>buffer between the Department of Justice and Joe Biden. I mean,

0:14:31.400 --> 0:14:34.640
<v Speaker 4>I think that's really the whole purpose of this is

0:14:34.680 --> 0:14:38.200
<v Speaker 4>to have somebody in there who is truly independent, and

0:14:38.240 --> 0:14:41.440
<v Speaker 4>I think this was a way to make it more formalized,

0:14:42.280 --> 0:14:46.040
<v Speaker 4>particularly if there are other areas to be investigated. Now,

0:14:46.080 --> 0:14:50.480
<v Speaker 4>having said that a question, you know, what is left

0:14:50.520 --> 0:14:54.320
<v Speaker 4>to investigate, mainly because you've got a statute of limitations

0:14:54.360 --> 0:14:57.440
<v Speaker 4>that goes for five years and most of these matters,

0:14:57.600 --> 0:15:02.120
<v Speaker 4>and if you take the two tack crimes, they were

0:15:02.320 --> 0:15:05.440
<v Speaker 4>at a period of time. Now that's getting beyond a

0:15:05.520 --> 0:15:09.800
<v Speaker 4>normal statute of limitations for anything, probably other than tax crimes.

0:15:09.800 --> 0:15:14.840
<v Speaker 4>So I just, you know, I think it's in some

0:15:14.920 --> 0:15:18.960
<v Speaker 4>sense it is political to the extent that it's set

0:15:19.040 --> 0:15:23.160
<v Speaker 4>up so that there is no question of politics not

0:15:23.320 --> 0:15:25.360
<v Speaker 4>being involved. I mean, I think, you know, to the

0:15:25.400 --> 0:15:29.720
<v Speaker 4>extent you're saying it's political. I'm having complete independence from

0:15:29.760 --> 0:15:34.080
<v Speaker 4>the Department of Justice and from Merrick Garland just adds

0:15:34.200 --> 0:15:38.000
<v Speaker 4>to the fact that the person has the independent ability

0:15:38.040 --> 0:15:40.400
<v Speaker 4>to do what he's doing. And even though under this

0:15:40.480 --> 0:15:47.480
<v Speaker 4>crazy special prosecutor regulation it's supposedly the special prosecutor ultimately

0:15:47.520 --> 0:15:50.360
<v Speaker 4>answers to the Attorney General. I think that Merrick Garland

0:15:50.400 --> 0:15:53.040
<v Speaker 4>has been and made it clear that he's been totally

0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:55.600
<v Speaker 4>hands off on all of these matters, whether it's Jack

0:15:55.680 --> 0:15:57.600
<v Speaker 4>Smith or now it's going to be wise.

0:15:58.080 --> 0:16:01.000
<v Speaker 2>I mean, frankly, nidn't they have been a lot better

0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:03.520
<v Speaker 2>off if they've done this from the get go because

0:16:03.840 --> 0:16:07.640
<v Speaker 2>the concerns are on the Republican side, not just the

0:16:07.680 --> 0:16:13.840
<v Speaker 2>tax crimes or the gun issue, but the the sort

0:16:13.880 --> 0:16:17.960
<v Speaker 2>of foot dragging, you know, the idea that if the

0:16:18.000 --> 0:16:21.840
<v Speaker 2>president's son is a tax evader, he can get away

0:16:21.880 --> 0:16:24.920
<v Speaker 2>with it, or he'll be given a lighter sentence, Like

0:16:25.040 --> 0:16:29.080
<v Speaker 2>wouldn't President Biden or the administration of Ben smarter to

0:16:29.240 --> 0:16:31.680
<v Speaker 2>get this out of the way at the at the beginning?

0:16:32.680 --> 0:16:35.200
<v Speaker 4>Oh, I totally agree with you, But I think from

0:16:35.240 --> 0:16:40.680
<v Speaker 4>Merrick Doland's standpoint, appointing somebody who to investigate this, who

0:16:40.760 --> 0:16:45.240
<v Speaker 4>was a Trump appointee as US attorney in Delaware had

0:16:45.280 --> 0:16:48.120
<v Speaker 4>the same effect, but in some ways it didn't, And

0:16:48.800 --> 0:16:51.320
<v Speaker 4>I think what he's trying to do is emphasize that now.

0:16:51.560 --> 0:16:54.280
<v Speaker 4>It also sends a signal that there are other matters

0:16:54.280 --> 0:16:58.840
<v Speaker 4>to be investigated. He wouldn't be doing this unless there

0:16:58.880 --> 0:17:01.760
<v Speaker 4>was something more to invent the gate beyond the tax crimes.

0:17:01.840 --> 0:17:06.480
<v Speaker 4>So I think this probably also signals the fact that

0:17:07.359 --> 0:17:10.280
<v Speaker 4>there's not going to be a plea anytime soon. That

0:17:11.600 --> 0:17:14.360
<v Speaker 4>I think that there are other matters that they're looking at,

0:17:14.480 --> 0:17:16.320
<v Speaker 4>and I don't think they're in a position yet to

0:17:16.400 --> 0:17:20.240
<v Speaker 4>say they're going to put this all behind Hunter Biden. Yeah.

0:17:20.320 --> 0:17:23.280
<v Speaker 3>I mean, so there was this closed door testimony of

0:17:24.080 --> 0:17:27.880
<v Speaker 3>Hunter Biden's X business partner, Devin Archer, and I think

0:17:27.920 --> 0:17:32.080
<v Speaker 3>the takeaway from some of the press was that this

0:17:32.160 --> 0:17:38.520
<v Speaker 3>didn't really back up the Republicans accusing President Biden, you know,

0:17:38.640 --> 0:17:43.000
<v Speaker 3>of crime and corruption. But there were some bits and

0:17:43.000 --> 0:17:45.760
<v Speaker 3>pieces in there. Was there anything there for you that

0:17:45.800 --> 0:17:49.440
<v Speaker 3>you thought, you know, this might be potentially the subject

0:17:49.200 --> 0:17:55.159
<v Speaker 3>of the a probe that could be continued under David Wise, Yeah.

0:17:55.160 --> 0:17:59.080
<v Speaker 4>Not really. I mean, it sounded like Hunter Biden had

0:17:59.119 --> 0:18:02.280
<v Speaker 4>his dad call in a couple of times, five times

0:18:02.320 --> 0:18:05.840
<v Speaker 4>over a long period of time, basically trading off his

0:18:05.960 --> 0:18:09.440
<v Speaker 4>name but trading off his connection. You know, a lot

0:18:09.480 --> 0:18:12.439
<v Speaker 4>of other presidents in the past have had the same problem,

0:18:12.520 --> 0:18:17.080
<v Speaker 4>and Richard Nixon did, Jimmy Carter did. Even Hillary Clinton

0:18:17.160 --> 0:18:21.879
<v Speaker 4>had this problem with her brother that relatives. You know,

0:18:22.760 --> 0:18:25.480
<v Speaker 4>if you can pick your friends, but you can't pick

0:18:25.520 --> 0:18:30.119
<v Speaker 4>your relatives, basically, and it's always been something that's be

0:18:30.240 --> 0:18:36.600
<v Speaker 4>deviled presidents and people in high public office. So I

0:18:36.640 --> 0:18:39.920
<v Speaker 4>don't think it really reflected that there was any there there.

0:18:40.680 --> 0:18:43.960
<v Speaker 4>But look, the public has to be assured that everything

0:18:44.040 --> 0:18:47.560
<v Speaker 4>is being done by the book, that everything that's out

0:18:47.560 --> 0:18:51.320
<v Speaker 4>there is being investigated, and at the end of the day,

0:18:51.400 --> 0:18:54.520
<v Speaker 4>I think this will give that assurance. You know, one

0:18:54.640 --> 0:18:57.800
<v Speaker 4>he's a special made the special counsel on this, and

0:18:57.920 --> 0:19:01.240
<v Speaker 4>two he was a former try up a point. I'm

0:19:01.400 --> 0:19:05.600
<v Speaker 4>a Republican who was the Delaware US attorney who's been

0:19:05.680 --> 0:19:09.359
<v Speaker 4>kept on and he's the one investigating it. So I

0:19:09.560 --> 0:19:12.440
<v Speaker 4>really don't see how you can have anybody with any

0:19:12.440 --> 0:19:17.000
<v Speaker 4>better credentials to do this than Weiss. And I think

0:19:17.160 --> 0:19:20.880
<v Speaker 4>this provides exactly what needs to be done.

0:19:21.040 --> 0:19:23.200
<v Speaker 2>Did we find out who the big guy was, Nick,

0:19:23.400 --> 0:19:27.040
<v Speaker 2>I mean if in the emails that the Post got

0:19:27.040 --> 0:19:32.480
<v Speaker 2>out of the laptop, in the quote on the CFC

0:19:32.600 --> 0:19:37.720
<v Speaker 2>China Energy venture when they said ten held by h

0:19:37.840 --> 0:19:39.760
<v Speaker 2>for the big guy, did we ever figure out who

0:19:39.760 --> 0:19:40.080
<v Speaker 2>that was?

0:19:40.400 --> 0:19:42.800
<v Speaker 4>Well, so far they haven't found any there there, But

0:19:42.840 --> 0:19:46.320
<v Speaker 4>it doesn't mean that they shouldn't investigate it and assure

0:19:46.359 --> 0:19:48.680
<v Speaker 4>the public that they've looked at everything before they close

0:19:48.760 --> 0:19:50.880
<v Speaker 4>out the case. I think that is what they've got

0:19:50.880 --> 0:19:54.080
<v Speaker 4>to do, all right, and that's what Weiss's job is.

0:19:54.359 --> 0:19:54.639
<v Speaker 1>Yep.

0:19:54.960 --> 0:19:57.040
<v Speaker 2>Nick, thanks so much for joining us. Really appreciate you

0:19:57.119 --> 0:20:00.680
<v Speaker 2>jumping in on this breaking news. Nick Ackerman, former special

0:20:00.720 --> 0:20:05.240
<v Speaker 2>Watergate Watergate prosecutor, talking to us about the breaking news

0:20:05.320 --> 0:20:10.160
<v Speaker 2>that the Department of Justice will appoint a special prosecutor

0:20:10.320 --> 0:20:15.120
<v Speaker 2>in the Hunter Biden probe and that prosecutor is David Weiss.

0:20:15.160 --> 0:20:18.800
<v Speaker 2>For Simone Foxman, I'm Matt Miller. This is Bloomberg