An examination of confidential correspondence and interviews with those close to Mr. Biden and lawyers involved in the case show how the deal ultimately fell apart amid schisms and withering external pressures.
Although some G.O.P. lawmakers see the appointment of David C. Weiss as a vindication of their strategy, others criticize the now-scuttled plea deal he struck with Mr. Biden.
Prosecutors issued a warrant for Jason Gerald Shenk, saying he defrauded Amish and Mennonite communities of $30 million he claimed would be used to spread Christianity in China.
The chairman of the Ways and Means Committee filed a brief in federal court saying the plea agreement for the president’s son had been tainted by political interference.