On Monday, the House Committee on the Judiciary and House Committee on Ways and Means issued subpoenas to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) investigators and Biden Administration Department of Justice (DOJ) officials present at or with direct knowledge of a meeting on October 7, 2022, in which now-Special Counsel David Weiss allegedly claimed he was prevented from bringing charges against President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, for tax crimes. The subpoenas come after the DOJ and the IRS refused to comply with multiple requests for voluntary transcribed interviews with these key witnesses.
The following statement was issued by Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (OH-04):
“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. 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. 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.”
According to sworn whistleblower testimony, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David Weiss stated during an October 7, 2022, meeting with DOJ and IRS personnel that “he is not the deciding person on whether charges are filed” against Hunter Biden and that in multiple instances his efforts to bring charges in multiple jurisdictions were denied. This was documented in an email sent the day of the meeting, and provided to the Ways and Means Committee.
Yet Attorney General Merrick Garland previously testified before Congress that Weiss had all the authority necessary to pursue charges and Mr. Weiss told Congress that he had “ultimate” authority over the case.
- April 2022 – Garland testifies before the Senate that U.S. Attorney David Weiss is “supervising the investigation” and “is in charge of that investigation.” He also testifies that “there will not be interference of any political or improper kind.”
- March 2023 – Garland again testifies before a Senate Committee and is asked whether USAO Weiss had authority to bring charges outside of Delaware without Special Counsel status. Garland replies:“The US 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 that if he does, he will be able to do that…I have promised to ensure that he is able to carry out his investigation and that he be able to run it and if needs to bring it in another jurisdiction he will have full authority to do that.” (emphasis added)
- June 7, 2023 – U.S. Attorney Weiss sends a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan claiming he had full authority over the investigation and to bring charges in the case.
Only after a sweetheart plea deal fell apart during a hearing before a federal judge in Delaware did AG Garland designate Mr. Weiss as Special Counsel, raising concerns that the Attorney General’s and Mr. Weiss’s statements to Congress were not truthful.
The subpoenas were sent to the following individuals:
- Michael T. Batdorf, IRS Director of Field Operations
- Darrell J. Waldon, IRS Special Agent in Charge
- Thomas J. Sobocinski, FBI Special Agent in Charge
- Ryeshia Holley, FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge
