Washington — House Republicans are asking the Justice Department to make available for interviews 11 federal officials — including U.S. Attorney David Weiss — in connection with the decision earlier this month to indict Hunter Biden on tax violations and possession of gun, according to a Thursday letter from the chairmen of the Judiciary, Oversight and Ways and Means committees obtained by CBS News.
The joint letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland calls for Weiss — appointed U.S. attorney for Delaware by former President Donald Trump and retained during the Biden administration to complete the Hunter Biden investigation — and other Justice Department and FBI officials, including Asst. U.S. Attorney Leslie Wolf to begin planning to appear in closed-door, transcribed interviews with Congress by July 13, adding that “the committees will otherwise resort to mandatory process to obtain the necessary testimony.”
The request for interviews comes after two IRS agents came forward alleging that the investigation into the president’s son, Joe Biden, was given special treatment.
“To fully evaluate these allegations, testimony from several Department and FBI officials is required. We look forward to your full cooperation as we arrange these transcribed interviews,” the House Republicans’ letter to Garland said. “We have identified several Department officials who we believe have information regarding allegations of politicization and misconduct regarding the Department’s investigation of Hunter Biden.”
Weiss’ office reached a deal with Hunter Biden’s lawyers and announced on June 20 that would plead guilty for two tax crimes and to enter into a pre-trial diversion agreement on a separate charge that he possessed an illegal weapon while using drugs.
A federal judge must approve the deal, and a plea hearing is currently scheduled for July 26 in a Delaware court.
Speaking to reporters last week, Garland said he “would support Mr. Weiss explaining or testifying on these matters as he sees fit.” CBS News has reached out to the Justice Department for further comment on Thursday’s letter.
In recent months, the Justice Department has rejected requests from congressional Republicans for specific information related to ongoing investigations and cases — including those of Donald Trump and Joe Biden handling sensitive records — citing longstanding prosecutorial norms.
“Protecting the confidentiality of nonpublic information about investigations and prosecutions preserves the American people’s confidence in the impartial administration of justice by preventing the emergence of political pressure or other improper attempts to influence the Department’s decisions,” Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte wrote to the House representatives Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan earlier this month in response to a request related to the department’s investigation into Trump. “Maintaining confidentiality also protects the legal rights, personal safety, and privacy interests of individuals involved in or assisting in our investigations.”
And in a letter to Jordan sent in January about requests for oversight and facilitation, the Justice Department said it expects requests from congressional committees for testimony.
“While we will work diligently to accommodate requests for public testimony, it may not always be possible to participate in or address all topics the committee wishes to raise.” When information is not appropriate for a public hearing, we will make reasonable efforts to determine if such information can be shared in a different setting, such as a briefing, a closed hearing, or by providing other information,” the letter explained.
The congressional request for interviews with investigators follows increased scrutiny by House Republicans over the Justice Department’s handling of the Biden investigation, based on allegations by an IRS agent that investigators were blocked from following investigative leads involving President Biden, and that Weiss was not permitted to seek charges in other federal jurisdictions.
Gary Shapleythe supervising IRS agent who helped oversee the Hunter Biden investigation claimed in discussions with congressional investigators and in an interview with CBS News that he was repeatedly prevented from taking steps he would have considered routine in other cases.
Shapley told CBS News’ Jim Axelrod earlier this week that the five-year investigation uncovered conduct that he said could lead to additional and more serious charges. “Based on my experience, if it had been a small business owner or some other unrelated person, they would have been charged with crimes,” Shapley said.
The 14-year IRS veteran also alleged that Weiss’s deputy, Wolff, thwarted investigators’ efforts to look into leads related to Joe Biden. Shapley testified that there was an hours-long meeting with the prosecution team in December 2020, and during that meeting Shapley said Wolf tried to limit questions about then-President-elect Joe Biden to potential witnesses.
Mr. Biden and the White House have consistently denied that the president was involved in his son’s business dealings. Asked about Shapley’s June 23 testimony, the White House referred CBS News to a previously released statement.
“President Biden has made it clear that this matter will be handled independently by the Department of Justice, under the direction of a US attorney appointed by former President Trump, without any political interference from the White House,” the statement said. the statement. “He fulfilled that commitment.
Shaipili also testified that the U.S. attorney said he was denied special counsel status, a move that could have offered him broader prosecutorial power.
But Weiss said in a letter to Jordan three weeks ago that Justice Department officials had given him “supreme authority in this matter, including responsibility for deciding where, when and whether to bring charges.” Political considerations, Weiss said in the letter, were not part of the investigation.
And Garland denied the allegations earlier this month, telling reporters that Weiss was “appointed by President Trump. As U.S. Attorney for Delaware and tasked with this matter during the previous administration, [he] he will be allowed to pursue his investigation and decide to prosecute in any way he chooses and in any district he chooses.”
The attorney general also rejected Shapley’s claims that Weiss’ request to be appointed a special counsel in the matter had been denied. “The only person with the power to make someone a special attorney or refuse to make someone a special attorney is the attorney general. Mr. Weiss never made that request of me,” Garland said.