Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Tuesday dismissed assertions by fellow Republicans that Hunter Biden’s plea deal with the Department of Justice on tax charges casts doubt on the agency’s ability to fairly prosecute political figures and their family members.
The 2012 Republican presidential nominee told CNN’s Manu Raju, “This is the sort of thing for which there are typically plea deals that are executed."
“… I don’t know that there’s any evidence that suggests this is out of character with other individuals who come in with similar infractions.”
Asked to respond to GOP allegations of a two-tier justice system, Romney said, “We’re far more effective at our criticisms when we carefully pinpoint them as opposed to finding criticism at every occasion, sometimes when it’s fair, sometimes when it’s not.”
Romney’s measured comments come in stark contrast to some of the incendiary remarks his GOP colleagues on Capitol Hill made Tuesday.
Hunter Biden pleading guilty to a gun charge and misdemeanor tax charges with no jail time is a stunt to make him look like he is just cooperating with the DOJ, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said. She suggested that the plea deal shows that America is “controlled by COMMUNISTS!!”
“Meanwhile the pathetic and weaponized DOJ who protects their puppet President and refuses to prosecute Joe Biden and Hunter for taking bribes from Ukrainian oligarchs and raking in tens of millions of dollars from foreign countries bc the Big Guy makes policy decisions to be help his customers are the real crimes the Biden’s should be charged with!”
Greene alleged that former President Donald Trump is the victim of political persecution.
“Oh but hey, look at Jack Smith trying to throw President Trump in jail for 100 years for legally possessing documents he’s allowed to posses under the Presidential Records Act,” Greene said.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Ca.) echoed the far-right Greene’s statements.
“It continues to show the two-tier system in America,” McCarthy told reporters in a video clip he posted on his Twitter account.
“If you are the president's leading political opponent, the DOJ tries to literally put you in jail and give you prison time. If you are the president's son, you get a sweetheart deal.”
McCarthy said House Republicans plan to continue their investigations of Hunter Biden and the president’s family, which they allege without evidence was at the center of a $5 million bribery scheme.
“Now, this does nothing to our investigation and actually should enhance our investigation because the DOJ should not be able to withhold any information now, saying that because of pending investigation,” McCarthy said.
“They should be able to provide Chairman Comer with any information that he requires.”