Top DOJ lawyer is ex-partner of Hunter Biden’s attorney

A high official on the U.S. Justice Division was a legislation associate with Hunter Biden’s lawyer Chris Clark, elevating critical considerations about potential conflicts of curiosity because the years-long federal probe into the president’s son has reportedly reached a essential stage.

Clark, a associate at New York-based agency Latham & Watkins, labored with Nicholas McQuaid on at the very least 4 totally different instances when he was additionally a associate on the follow, court docket information point out.

The instances had been high-stakes business litigation the place the pair frequently defended shoppers dealing with multimillion-dollar lawsuits.

McQuaid was named appearing head of the Justice Division’s legal division on Jan 20, 2021 — the day President Biden was inaugurated.

Clark began representing Hunter Biden a month earlier than.

Hunter Biden has been below investigation by the Division of Justice since 2018. A probe initially centered round taxes has reportedly expanded into potential cash laundering and violations of international lobbying legal guidelines.

In July CNN reported the probe has reached a essential stage and that potential fees had been imminent — probably placing McQuaid within the scorching seat.

McQuaid’s presence main the Division of Justice’s legal division raises questions in regards to the extent of his involvement within the Hunter Biden probe — which each the White Home and the DOJ have refused to reply.

“It’s yet one more abject failure of accountability in an extended record,” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) informed The Put up. “If Republicans retake a majority within the Senate, the division can count on extra strain and course of from me as chairman [of the Judiciary Committee ] and from my colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee. We’d be looking for data from dozens of people, and empowered by a committee majority — we’d now not simply be asking,”

Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson’s workplace mentioned that they had despatched a minimum of 5 letters on “potential conflicts of curiosity on the Biden Justice Division. Together with McQuaid.”

“To date DOJ refuses to supply responses to Sen. Johnson’s questions/requests,” a spokesman mentioned.

Clark and the White Home didn’t reply to request for remark from The Put up. A Division of Justice spokesperson declined to remark, however mentioned that McQuaid had signed a “Biden Ethics Pledge” when he joined the DOJ, by which he agreed to “not for a interval of two years from the date of my appointment take part in any explicit matter involving particular events that’s immediately and considerably associated to my former employer or former shoppers, together with rules and contracts.”