(Reuters) -Here are some reactions to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland's appointment on Friday of David Weiss as a special counsel to investigate whether President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, engaged in improper business dealings.

Weiss said Hunter Biden may be headed for trial on criminal charges after talks on a potential plea deal reached an impasse.

RUSSELL DYE, SPOKESMAN FOR REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE JIM JORDAN, CHAIR OF HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE:

"David Weiss can’t be trusted and this is just a new way to whitewash the Biden family’s corruption. Weiss has already signed off on a sweetheart plea deal that was so awful and unfair that a federal judge rejected it. We will continue to pursue facts brought to light by brave whistleblowers as well as Weiss’s inconsistent statements to Congress."

REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE JAMES COMER, CHAIR OF HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, POSTING ON X, FORMERLY KNOWN AS TWITTER:

"This move by Attorney General Garland is part of the Justice Department's efforts to attempt a Biden family coverup in light of the House Oversight Committee's mounting evidence of President Biden's role in his family's schemes selling 'the brand' for millions of dollars to foreign nationals... The Biden Justice Department is trying to stonewall congressional oversight as we have presented evidence to the American people about the Biden family's corruption."

REPUBLICAN SENATOR THOM TILLIS ON X:

"A year too late."

REPUBLICAN SENATOR TOM COTTON ON X:

"Biden's DOJ wants to dismiss the charges against Hunter, *supposedly* to refile them elsewhere, no doubt before some liberal judge who will rubber-stamp a sweetheart deal. Remember, when Biden's DOJ and Hunter's lawyers meet, they're not negotiating. They're conspiring."

REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE BYRON DONALDS ON X:

"House Republicans are holding the corrupt Biden Fam & administration accountable & putting relentless pressure on them, resulting in this long overdue announcement. I hope Weiss will not continue slow-walking the investigations into the president's son. We need accountability."

REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE LAUREN BOEBERT ON X:

"Merrick Garland just announced that he will appoint US Attorney Weiss as Special Counsel to look into Hunter Biden's matters. This is the same US Attorney who just tried to give Hunter a sweetheart deal. Given how Hunter has been treated this far, pardon me if I'm not extremely excited that anything will actually come of this."

REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE ANDREW CLYDE ON X:

"Attorney General Merrick Garland just appointed David Weiss as Special Counsel to 'investigate' Hunter Biden. Weiss—who orchestrated Hunter's sweetheart plea deal—has ZERO credibility. This is nothing more than an attempt to conceal the Biden Crime Family’s corruption."

(Reporting by Moira Warburton in Washington; Editing by Howard Goller)