The House Judiciary Committee will soon hear testimony from special counsel David Weiss and is preparing to interview other Justice Department officials next month in connection with its examination of the long-running investigation into Hunter Biden’s eldest son.
Weiss, Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, Los Angeles U.S. Attorney E. Martin Estrada and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart Goldberg will all sit in on the interviews, a spokeswoman for the House panel told The Post on Monday.
Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) received a letter from the DOJ on Friday confirming its “commitment” to have Weiss testify “in the near future” about her authority to bring charges against the 53-year-old Hunter — but not by mid-October as which Jordan requested, according to a copy of the letter also obtained by The Post.
The House Judiciary Committee will hear testimony from special counsel David Weiss and is preparing to interview other Justice Department officials related to the Hunter Biden investigation.AP.
Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte told Jordan that the “requested amount and rate” of the Judiciary Committee’s proposed interview schedule “far exceeds the Department’s resources, especially based on the Committee’s pending requests and subpoenas to the Department on other topics.”
“We remain committed to providing information voluntarily, without unnecessary escalation,” he said. “However, any additional evidence and documents shared at this early stage must continue to be appropriately restricted to protect ongoing matters and important confidentiality interests.”
The testimony was intended to clarify repeated claims by Weiss and Attorney General Merrick Garland that the Delaware US Attorney’s office faces no obstacles in bringing charges against the eldest child and retains “full authority” to do so.
The testimony will shed light on repeated denials from Weiss and Attorney General Merrick Garland that the Delaware office faces no obstacles in bringing charges against the first son.REUTERS
Last week, Garland contradicted himself about the investigation, confirming both that Weiss had the “authority” to prosecute Hunter Biden — and stating that other US attorneys had the right to refuse to share in the case.
“I will say again that no one has the authority to reject it,” Garland told Jordan in the Sept. 20 hearing. “They can refuse to cooperate with him.”
The Justice Department served Graves on Oct. 3, Estrada on Oct. 20 and Goldberg on Oct. 24, according to its letter to Jordan. A date has not been set for Weiss.
Washington, DC, US Attorney Matthew Graves (above) will sit down for an interview with the House Judiciary Committee. The Washington Post via Getty Images
A spokesman for the Judiciary Committee told The Post that an interview with federal prosecutors is being scheduled.
Weiss had been prepared to answer questions from House lawmakers in July before plea negotiations broke down between her prosecutors and Hunter Biden’s defense team in court.
Weiss’ office on June 20 charged Hunter Biden, 53, with evading $1.2 million in taxes in 2017 and 2018 — and letting him dismiss criminal charges for lying on a gun purchase form about his 2018 cocaine use.
But on July 26, the first son pleaded not guilty to two tax offenses and left a diversion agreement for a firearms charge.
US District Judge Maryellen Noreika forced prosecutors to say in Wilmington, Del., federal court that a provision in the plea agreement would not give the first child immunity from past charges.
Defense attorney Chris Clark immediately afterward declared the plea agreement “null and void.”
Los Angeles US Attorney E. Martin Estrada (top) and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart Goldberg will sit in on interviews with the House panel, a spokeswoman told The Post.AP
Weiss’ office on Sept. 14 hit Hunter Biden with three counts of firearms offenses in the new indictment, for which he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. His initial hearing is scheduled for Oct. 3.
IRS whistleblowers have alleged to the House Ways and Means and Judiciary committees that Biden’s Justice Department intervened in the case, allowing Hunter to drop criminal tax charges on $2.2 million in missed payments.
They also claim that Weiss was denied special counsel authority by the Justice Department and that Graves and Estrada turned him down when he sought to become a partner in the Hunter case.
The New York Times also independently confirmed that Estrada rejected Weiss’ offer.
IRS Director of Field Operations Michael Batdorf and IRS DC Special Agent in Charge Darrell Waldon in recently transcribed interviews also said the DOJ Tax Division would also have to sign off on any charges Weiss requests.
House Republicans earlier this month launched an impeachment inquiry against the president regarding his alleged involvement with his son’s business affairs.AP
Shapley, Ziegler, Batdorf, Waldon and two FBI agents from the Baltimore field office were present at the Oct. 7 meeting. 2022, where Weiss allegedly said he was “not the one who made the decision” to charge the first son.
Shapley, Ziegler and Batdorf have confirmed the statements, while Waldon, and FBI agents Tom Sobocinski and Ryeshia Holley have said they could not recall the statements Weiss alleged.
Garland on Aug. 11 elevated Weiss to special counsel status for the investigation, further undermining his claim that Delaware prosecutors were already given the necessary authority to carry it out.
In the Friday letter, the Justice Department confirmed that the attorney general will also produce a written report for the House Judiciary Committee on Weiss’ decision not to prosecute other charges presented by IRS investigators.
That includes possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act for his overseas business offerings, according to IRS Supervisory Special Agent Gary Shapley and IRS Special Agent Joseph Ziegler.
The first son also said his father, President Biden, asked him to spend “half†of his income, according to text messages found on his abandoned laptop.AP
Hunter Biden, his family members, and associates earned about $8.3 million in income between 2014 and 2019 from entities in Ukraine, Romania and China, IRS whistleblowers allege.
The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed bank records for the first son showing that funds from the Romania deal flowed to at least nine members of the Biden family.
The first son also said his father, President Biden, asked him to spend more than “half” of his income, according to text messages found on his abandoned laptop.
Devon Archer, who founded the Rosemont investment firm Seneca Partners with Hunter, also testified to Congress that the first son put his father on speakerphone at least 20 times during meetings with foreign business associates.
Hunter’s former business partner Devon Archer testified to Congress that the first son put his father on speakerphone at least 20 times with foreign business associates.AP
House Republicans earlier this month launched an impeachment inquiry into the president over his alleged involvement in his son’s business dealings, much of which occurred while Biden served as vice president in the Obama White House.
The House Oversight Committee will begin its impeachment inquiry into Biden with a hearing on Thursday morning.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
