Key Justice Department Officials to Face House Judiciary Panel Over Hunter Biden Investigation

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 first son Hunter Biden.

Weiss, Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, Los Angeles U.S. Attorney E. Martin Estrada and Acting Deputy Attorney General Stuart Goldberg will participate in interviews, a spokesperson for the House panel told The Post on Monday. Representatives.

Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) received a letter from the Justice Department on Friday confirming his “commitment” to having Weiss testify “in the short term” about his authority to bring charges against Hunter, 53. , but not by mid-October as 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 connected to the Hunter Biden investigation.

Deputy Attorney General Carlos Uriarte told Jordan that the “volume and pace requested” of the Judiciary Committee’s proposed interview schedule “far exceeds the Department’s resources, especially in light of the Committee’s other pending requests and subpoenas.” Department on other topics.”

“We remain committed to providing information voluntarily, without unnecessary escalations,” he said. “However, any additional testimony and documents shared at this early juncture should continue to be appropriately limited to protect the ongoing matter and important confidentiality interests.”

The testimony is intended to shed light on repeated claims by Weiss and Attorney General Merrick Garland that the U.S. attorney’s office in Delaware had no impediment to bringing charges against the first son and maintained “full authority” to do so.

First child Hunter BidenThe testimony would shed light on repeated denials by Weiss and Attorney General Merrick Garland that the Delaware office faced no impediment to bringing charges against the first son.REUTERS

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Last week, Garland contradicted himself about the investigation, stating that Weiss had the “authority” to charge Hunter Biden and noting that other US lawyers had the right to refuse to collaborate on the case.

“I’m going to say again that no one had the authority to reject it,” Garland told Jordan at the Sept. 20 hearing. “They might refuse to associate with him.”

The Justice Department made Graves available on Oct. 3, Estrada on Oct. 20 and Goldberg on Oct. 24, according to its letter to Jordan. No date has been set for Weiss.

Washington, DC, United States Attorney Matthew GravesWashington, DC, United States Attorney Matthew Graves (above) will attend an interview with the House Judiciary Committee. The Washington Post via Getty Images

The Judiciary Committee spokesperson told The Post that interviews with federal prosecutors are currently being scheduled.

Weiss had been prepared to answer questions from House lawmakers in July before negotiations between his prosecutors and Hunter Biden’s defense team broke down in court.

On June 20, Weiss’ office charged Hunter Biden, 53, with evading $1.2 million in tax payments in 2017 and 2018, allowing him to avoid a felony charge for lying on an income tax form. purchase of firearms on their use of crack in 2018.

But on July 26, the first son pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor tax crimes and abandoned a diversion agreement on the firearms charge.

U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika forced prosecutors to say in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, that a provision in the plea agreement would not give the first son broad immunity from previous charges.

Defense attorney Chris Clark declared immediately afterward that the plea agreement was “null and void.”

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Los Angeles Federal Prosecutor, E. Martín EstradaLos Angeles U.S. Attorney E. Martin Estrada (above) and Acting Deputy Attorney General Stuart Goldberg will meet with the House panel, a spokesperson told The Post.AP

On September 14, Weiss’ office charged Hunter Biden with three counts of firearms offenses in a 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 before the House Ways and Means and Judiciary committees that Biden’s Justice Department interfered in the case, allowing Hunter to avoid $2.2 million in felony tax charges. in late payments.

They also claim that Weiss was denied special counsel authority by the Justice Department and that Graves and Estrada rebuffed him when he tried to partner on the Hunter case.

The New York Times also independently confirmed that Estrada rejected Weiss’ offer.

IRS Field Operations Director Michael Batdorf and DC IRS Special Agent in Charge Darrell Waldon, in recently transcribed interviews, also said the Justice Department’s Tax Division would also have to approve any charges Weiss would search

First child Hunter Biden and President BidenHouse Republicans earlier this month launched an impeachment inquiry into the president for his alleged involvement in his son’s business dealings.

Shapley, Ziegler, Batdorf, Waldon and two FBI agents from the Baltimore field office were present at an Oct. 7, 2022, meeting, in which Weiss allegedly said he was “not the decider” in charging the first son.

Shapley, Ziegler and Batdorf confirmed the comment, while Waldon and FBI agents Tom Sobocinski and Ryeshia Holley said they did not remember Weiss’s alleged statement.

On August 11, Garland elevated Weiss to special prosecutor status for the investigation, further undermining his claim that Delaware’s prosecutor already had the power to pursue it.

In Friday’s letter, the Justice Department stated that the attorney general will also produce a written report to the House Judiciary Committee on Weiss’ decision not to pursue other charges brought by IRS investigators.

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These include possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act for his foreign dealings, according to IRS Supervisory Special Agent Gary Shapley and IRS Special Agent Joseph Ziegler.

president bidenThe first son also said his father, President Biden, asked him to shell out more than “half” of his income, according to text messages found on his abandoned laptop.

Hunter Biden, his family members and associates earned approximately $8.3 million in income between 2014 and 2019 from entities in Ukraine, Romania and China, IRS whistleblowers alleged.

The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed bank records from the first son that showed funds from the Romanian deal flowed to at least nine members of the Biden family.

The first son also said his father, President Biden, asked him to shell out more than “half” of his income, according to text messages found on his abandoned laptop.

Devon Archer, co-founder of the investment firm Rosemont Seneca Partners with Hunter, also testified before Congress that the first son put his father on speakerphone at least 20 times while meeting with foreign business partners.

President Biden and his first son Hunter BidenHunter’s former business partner, Devon Archer, testified before Congress that the first son put his father on speakerphone at least 20 times with foreign business partners.

House Republicans earlier this month launched an impeachment inquiry into the president for his alleged involvement in his son’s business dealings, which largely 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 Thursday morning.

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Source: vtt.edu.vn

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