Despite claims made by an IRS whistleblower that contradict his sworn testimony, Attorney General Merrick Garland insisted that U.S. Attorney David Weiss had the independence to conduct a criminal investigation into Hunter Biden without interference from the government.
President Joe Biden requested the resignations of almost all of the Senate-confirmed U.S. attorneys at the beginning of February 2021; Weiss was the lone exception and was asked to remain in office while conducting an investigation into the president's son. Garland said on Tuesday that his previous promise to protect Weiss from political pressure was still in effect.
During a DOJ press conference, Garland responded to a question from a reporter, "Yes, it's still the case. "I remain true to my testimony. I also point you toward the U.S. attorney for the District of Delaware, who is in charge of this matter and qualified to make any judgments he deems necessary.
Last month, an IRS informant gave Congress "protected disclosures" regarding the federal inquiry into Hunter Biden, claiming that "preferential treatment and politics" were present in the case against the president's son. Additionally, the claims made by the IRS agent "contradict sworn testimony to Congress by a senior political appointee."
Garland is the top Biden staffer whose testimony before Congress is under scrutiny, according to a source familiar with the whistleblower letter who verified this to the Washington Examiner last month.
In March, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) pressed Garland on his prior commitments, saying that Garland's testimony "could be misleading because without special counsel authority he could need the permission of another U.S. attorney's office in certain circumstances to bring charges" outside of Delaware.
Garland said before the Senate that Weiss should get everything he needs because "he has been advised to do so." "I have not heard anything from that office that suggests they are unable to do anything that the U.S. attorney wants them to do."
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee chairman, Rep. James Comer (R-KY), released a statement last month that "it's deeply concerning that the Biden Administration may be obstructing justice by blocking efforts to charge Hunter Biden for tax violations."
Attorney General William Barr, who turned down the concept of a special counsel looking into Hunter Biden in December 2020, is now of the opinion that Garland should give Weiss those authority.
Numerous Senate Republicans have demanded that Weiss receive special counsel protections and powers, and numerous House Republicans have urged Garland to name a special counsel to conduct the investigation.
Garland described Weiss as "supervising the investigation" in April 2022. "There will not be any improper or political interference of any kind."
Soon after the 2020 election, the president's son disclosed that the IRS was looking into his taxes. He is currently reportedly being investigated for possible money laundering as well as possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act involving foreign lobbying.
Republicans have long claimed that Hunter Biden may have engaged in foreign lobbying or money laundering crimes as a result of his lucrative business dealings in China and Ukraine, but recent reports suggest that federal investigators may have focused on Hunter Biden's potential involvement in tax fraud in 2016 and 2017 and lying on a federal form when buying a handgun in 2018.
Last month, Chris Clark, one of Hunter Biden's attorneys, told several media outlets that "it appears this IRS agent has committed a crime, and has denied my client protections that are his right."
The alleged IRS whistleblower's attorney, Mark Lytle, questioned Clark's statements.
"My client debated whether or not to speak up. He spent a lot of nights worrying about telling others about this. He ultimately came to the conclusion that he could not live with himself if he remained silent and said nothing, according to Lytle on Fox News.
Abbe Lowell, a different Hunter Biden attorney who has just started assisting the president's son in his attempts to contest child support payments, has adopted a more aggressive legal tack on behalf of Joe Biden's son.
In February, Lowell sent letters to the Delaware attorney general and the DOJ's National Security Division urging them to open inquiries into a number of individuals involved in helping to disseminate the information on Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop hard drive, including John Paul Mac Isaac, the owner of a computer repair shop in Delaware, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
President Joe Biden requested the resignations of almost all of the Senate-confirmed U.S. attorneys at the beginning of February 2021; Weiss was the lone exception and was asked to remain in office while conducting an investigation into the president's son. Garland said on Tuesday that his previous promise to protect Weiss from political pressure was still in effect.
During a DOJ press conference, Garland responded to a question from a reporter, "Yes, it's still the case. "I remain true to my testimony. I also point you toward the U.S. attorney for the District of Delaware, who is in charge of this matter and qualified to make any judgments he deems necessary.
Last month, an IRS informant gave Congress "protected disclosures" regarding the federal inquiry into Hunter Biden, claiming that "preferential treatment and politics" were present in the case against the president's son. Additionally, the claims made by the IRS agent "contradict sworn testimony to Congress by a senior political appointee."
Garland is the top Biden staffer whose testimony before Congress is under scrutiny, according to a source familiar with the whistleblower letter who verified this to the Washington Examiner last month.
In March, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) pressed Garland on his prior commitments, saying that Garland's testimony "could be misleading because without special counsel authority he could need the permission of another U.S. attorney's office in certain circumstances to bring charges" outside of Delaware.
Garland said before the Senate that Weiss should get everything he needs because "he has been advised to do so." "I have not heard anything from that office that suggests they are unable to do anything that the U.S. attorney wants them to do."
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee chairman, Rep. James Comer (R-KY), released a statement last month that "it's deeply concerning that the Biden Administration may be obstructing justice by blocking efforts to charge Hunter Biden for tax violations."
Attorney General William Barr, who turned down the concept of a special counsel looking into Hunter Biden in December 2020, is now of the opinion that Garland should give Weiss those authority.
Numerous Senate Republicans have demanded that Weiss receive special counsel protections and powers, and numerous House Republicans have urged Garland to name a special counsel to conduct the investigation.
Garland described Weiss as "supervising the investigation" in April 2022. "There will not be any improper or political interference of any kind."
Soon after the 2020 election, the president's son disclosed that the IRS was looking into his taxes. He is currently reportedly being investigated for possible money laundering as well as possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act involving foreign lobbying.
Republicans have long claimed that Hunter Biden may have engaged in foreign lobbying or money laundering crimes as a result of his lucrative business dealings in China and Ukraine, but recent reports suggest that federal investigators may have focused on Hunter Biden's potential involvement in tax fraud in 2016 and 2017 and lying on a federal form when buying a handgun in 2018.
Last month, Chris Clark, one of Hunter Biden's attorneys, told several media outlets that "it appears this IRS agent has committed a crime, and has denied my client protections that are his right."
The alleged IRS whistleblower's attorney, Mark Lytle, questioned Clark's statements.
"My client debated whether or not to speak up. He spent a lot of nights worrying about telling others about this. He ultimately came to the conclusion that he could not live with himself if he remained silent and said nothing, according to Lytle on Fox News.
Abbe Lowell, a different Hunter Biden attorney who has just started assisting the president's son in his attempts to contest child support payments, has adopted a more aggressive legal tack on behalf of Joe Biden's son.
In February, Lowell sent letters to the Delaware attorney general and the DOJ's National Security Division urging them to open inquiries into a number of individuals involved in helping to disseminate the information on Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop hard drive, including John Paul Mac Isaac, the owner of a computer repair shop in Delaware, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
