By Steve Neavling
The lead prosecutor in the case against President Biden’s son plans to testify publicly this fall, according to a letter sent to lawmakers on Monday.
House Republicans have called on U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a Donald Trump appointee, to field questions about claims by two IRS whistleblowers that the Justice Department improperly interfered in the investigation.
The letter from the Justice Department suggests Weiss would be available to testify before the House Judiciary Committee in September or October.
Hunter Biden plans to plead guilty on Wednesday to two federal tax misdemeanors as part of a plea agreement.
While Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte says in the letter that the Justice Department has concerns about publicly airing information about an “ongoing” criminal case, he said there are “misrepresentations” that need to be addressed.
“The Department believes it is strongly in the public interest for the American people and for Congress to hear directly from U.S. Attorney Weiss on these assertions and questions about his authority at a public hearing,” Uriarte wrote to Jim Jordan, the committee’s chairman.
“We are deeply concerned by any misrepresentations about our work – whether deliberate or arising from misunderstandings – that could unduly harm public confidence in the evenhanded administration of justice, to which we are dedicated,” Uriarte wrote.
Two IRS whistleblowers alleged a pattern of “slow-walking the investigative steps” into Biden’s case. Among the claims is that enforcement action was delayed in the months before the 2020 election that Joe Biden won.
They also allege the IRS recommended charging Hunter Biden with attempted tax evasion and other felonies but was stymied by the Justice Department.
Greg Shapley, a 14-year IRS veteran who oversaw some of the investigation, said Biden had invoked his father, who was out of office at the time, while negotiating a proposed energy deal with a potential Chinese business partner in 2017.
