The House Committee on the Judiciary and the House Committee on Ways and Means issued subpoenas to several officials in connection with the Hunter Biden investigation on Monday.
These actions follow allegations of political interference and claim that Hunter Biden received preferential treatment during the inquiry.
According to a joint statement by the 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.”
The statement further added, “Unfortunately, the Biden Administration has consistently stonewalled Congress.”
The crux of the issue revolves around the testimony of U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David Weiss, who allegedly said during a meeting on October 7, 2022, that “he is not the deciding person on whether charges are filed” against Hunter Biden.
The contents of the meeting were later documented in an email, as per “sworn whistleblower testimony”, and handed over to the Ways and Means Committee.
This testimony seemingly contrasts with Attorney General Merrick Garland’s previous statements to Congress.
In April 2022, Garland confirmed that David Weiss was “supervising the investigation” and was unequivocally “in charge of that investigation.”
Furthermore, Garland asserted that “there will not be interference of any political or improper kind.”
In a subsequent testimony in March 2023, Garland stated: “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.”
Contradicting these statements, U.S. Attorney Weiss sent a letter on June 7, 2023, to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, emphasizing he had “full authority over the investigation and to bring charges in the case.”
Yet, it was only after a plea deal related to Hunter Biden’s case unraveled in a Delaware federal court that Garland designated Weiss as Special Counsel, leading to concerns about the veracity of both Garland’s and Weiss’s testimonies.
The issued subpoenas target several high-ranking officials: Michael T. Batdorf, the IRS Director of Field Operations; Darrell J. Waldon, IRS Special Agent in Charge; Thomas J. Sobocinski, FBI Special Agent in Charge; and Ryeshia Holley, FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge.
The two Committees assert their intention to “follow the facts wherever they may lead,” emphasizing that their duty is to unearth how “the President’s son received special treatment from federal prosecutors and who was the ultimate decision maker in the case.”
As the statement from Chairmen Smith and Jordan highlighted, “Americans deserve to know the truth.”
