Psaki claims Department of Justice is 'independent' when asked about Hunter Biden's laptop

Peter Doocy asked the White House on Tuesday if their position on the Hunter Biden investigation has changed, given recent reporting.

When asked about appointing a special counsel to maintain independence, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki responded instead by claiming parties involved have stayed neutral thus far.

"A lot of stories about Hunter Biden surfacing this week. So, to ensure the independence of the investigation, would the President support the appointment of a special counsel?" Peter Doocy asked.

Jen Psaki did not give a yes or no answer. Instead she said "The President has never had a conversation with the Department of Justice about any investigations into any member of his family. He said that during the campaign, and he will continue to abide by that. So I point you to the Department of Justice for any additional steps they would take, they would make those decisions independently."

The latest development in the saga was a grand jury in the state of Delaware asking a witness about the identity of the "Big Guy" in Hunter Biden’s leaked laptop emails.

Doocy asked in a follow-up: "Is there any concern that they’re not going to be necessarily seen as being able to make the decisions independently? The White House Chief of Staff is out saying that the President is confident his son did not break the law."

"Well that’s something the President has said, and certainly we would echo. But in the same answer to that question, Peter, during an interview this week on ABC, Ron Klain also said the Justice Department is independent and they will make their own decisions," Psaki responded.

The timing of the interview comes after Fox News reported that in September 2012, Ron Klain had reached out to Hunter Biden for help fundraising $20,000 that went towards a group that maintains the vice president’s residence. But in that exchange Klain urged Joe Biden’s son to "keep it low key" so that there wouldn’t be PR backlash.

Another question had Psaki reaffirmed still, despite the latest developments, that Joe Biden had never asked Hunter about his overseas dealings.

In the interim when Psaki was away amid a COVID diagnosis, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield filled-in and responded to inquiries from multiple outlets including CBS, who asked if Joe Biden considered using the powers of presidential pardon for the cases of either his own son, or brother. This in itself was encouraged by the mainstream media lifting their blackout on talking about the Hunter Biden investigation.

Establishment outlets like The New York Times and Washington Post have acknowledged the legitimacy of leaked contents from Hunter’s laptop, after a prolonged period of implicit denial otherwise.