Another IRS Official Says DOJ Prevented Weiss From Charging Hunter Biden

A third official from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said U.S. Attorney David Weiss faced difficulties when trying to bring charges against Hunter Biden.

The situation contradicts Attorney General Merrick Garland’s statement.

Michael Batdorf, IRS Director of Field Operations, told the House Ways and Means Committee that he was “frustrated” over the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) failure to approve tax charges.

“I was frustrated,” he said. “[Weiss] was probably a little frustrated … because he now had to make some decisions on what he was going to do.”

He added that the IRS also removed whistleblower Gary Shapley from the Biden case.

According to Batdor, the DOJ Tax Division also opposed bringing charges against Biden.

“DOJ Tax would have to authorize charges prior to David Weiss recommending an indictment or prosecution,” Batdorf said during his closed-door interview. “So, I mean, my understanding is that, I mean, he can’t make that decision without DOJ Tax authorization.”

Hunter Biden’s defense team was given as many as four opportunities to meet with DOJ Tax officials and describe why Biden should not face charges.

Reporting from The Washington Examiner:

Batdorf said Weiss effectively asked for Shapley’s removal from the case in December 2022 after reviewing emails and memos in which Shapley had documented what he claimed was evidence of preferential treatment toward the Biden family. Weiss informed Batdorf and another IRS supervisor that he would no longer be responding to any of Shapley’s emails or calls.

The decision to remove Shapley’s team was made because, Batdorf said, the IRS supervisors feared Weiss would not move forward with a prosecution unless the IRS investigative team was replaced.

But because “no more investigative actions” remained after an Oct. 7, 2022, team meeting at which Weiss revealed his difficulties in bringing charges against Hunter Biden in a jurisdiction outside Delaware, Batdorf did not inform Shapley he was being pulled from the case until May of this year, when Weiss finally arrived at the decision to proceed, Batdorf said.
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