The House Committees on the Judiciary and on Ways and Means issued subpoenas Monday to IRS and FBI officials in an ongoing probe into the Biden Department of Justice’s conduct in handling an investigation into Hunter Biden’s alleged tax crimes.
The subpoenas, which come after the DOJ and IRS refused to comply with multiple requests for voluntary transcribed interviews, target four officials who were either present at or with direct knowledge of a meeting on Oct. 7, 2022, in which now-Special Counsel David Weiss allegedly claimed he was stymied from bringing charges against President Biden’s son.
“Our Committees, along with the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, have sought these interviews since IRS whistleblowers came forward with concerning allegations of political interference in the investigation into Hunter Biden’s foreign influence peddling and tax evasion,” Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said in a statement Monday.
“Unfortunately, the Biden Administration has consistently stonewalled Congress. Our duty is to follow the facts wherever they may lead, and our subpoenas compelling testimony from Biden Administration officials are crucial to understanding how the President’s son received special treatment from federal prosecutors and who was the ultimate decision maker in the case,” they said.
“Americans deserve to know the truth, especially now that Attorney General Garland has appointed as special counsel the same U.S. Attorney who oversaw Hunter Biden’s sweetheart plea deal and botched the investigation into his alleged tax crimes,” they added.
According to sworn IRS whistleblower testimony, U.S. Attorney of Delaware David Weiss told DOJ and IRS officials in the Oct. 7 meeting that “he is not the deciding person on whether charges are filed” against Hunter Biden.
The whistleblowers’ claims appear to contradict Congressional testimony from Attorney General Merrick Garland.
In April of 2022, Garland testified before the Senate that Weiss is “in charge of that investigation,” and that “there will not be interference of any political or improper kind.”
In March of 2023, Garland told a Senate Committee when asked whether Weiss had the authority to bring charges outside of Delaware without Special Counsel status that “The U.S. Attorney in Delaware has been advised that he has full authority to make those kind[s] of referrals that you are talking about, or bring cases in other jurisdictions if he feels it’s necessary and I will assure you that if he does, he will be able to do that.”
Weiss sent a letter to Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan on June 7, 2023, claiming that he had full authority over the Hunter Biden investigation and had the ability to bring charges in the case.
Hunter Biden’s plea deal fell through in late July — which would have allowed him to avoid jail time for his misdemeanor tax crimes and a felony gun charge — over concerns that the deal was overbroad and would prevent additional charges from an ongoing investigation to be brought against Biden.
Attorney General Garland appointed Weiss as Special Counsel in the Hunter Biden investigation on Aug. 11, a move that he said “reinforces for the American people the [DOJ’s] commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters.”
“As I said before, Mr. Weiss would be permitted to continue his investigation, take any investigative steps he wanted, and make the decision whether to prosecute in any district,” Garland said at a press conference regarding the appointment.
House Republicans called the appointment an attempt at a “Biden family coverup,” with Rep. Jordan saying that “Something’s not right” about Weiss becoming Special Counsel.
“First, David Weiss said he didn’t have the power he needed and wanted special counsel status. Then he said he had all the power he needs,” Jordan said.
“Now, he gets special counsel status because he didn’t really have the power he needs? Something’s not right,” he said.
Read the four subpoenas issued against IRS and FBI officials below:
- Michael T. Batdorf, IRS Director of Field Operations
- Darrel J. Waldon, IRS Special Agent in Charge
- Thomas J. Sobocinski, FBI Special Agent in Charge
- Ryeshia Holley, FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="21664 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=21664">1 Comment
What law school did Rep. Jordan graduated from? What, he doesn’t have a law degree! Guess the Committee needs better lawyers as IRS and DOJ officials/personnel cannot commit investigations. What does Rep. Jordan care about this is all about theater.