House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) made a massive request for more information about the Justice Department’s investigation into the president’s son, Hunter Biden, setting a date for a interview with David Weiss, the special counsel on this matter, while requesting a number of documents related to the ongoing investigation.
Jordan also asked the Justice Department to turn over a series of documents related to two IRS whistleblowers who claimed the investigation was mismanaged.
The letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, obtained by The Hill, indicates that the committee is seeking an Oct. 11 interview with Weiss, who previously said he would be willing to speak to the panel.
But it also showed the panel requesting interviews with other top DOJ officials mentioned in the IRS whistleblowers’ testimony, including US Attorney for DC Matthew Graves and Lesley Wolf, a Weiss representative.
The request comes after two whistleblowers — IRS agents Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler — complained that the Hunter Biden investigation was moving too slowly, pointing to Weiss and Wolf sometimes being hesitant to aggressively pursue the case. , which included allegations of numerous tax crimes. .
Shapley also said Graves resisted bringing charges against Biden in DC — a claim denied by his office as well as Weiss.
Jordan also requested several documents tied to the ongoing investigation of Hunter Biden, who was indicted last week on charges related to failure to identify drug use when seeking to purchase a weapon. It is unclear when additional tax payments will come.
Those documents include a PowerPoint about the investigation and any notes or emails related to an Oct. 7 meeting in which Shapley recalled Weiss saying he was seeking denied special status. attorney, leaving him unable to pursue cases outside of Delaware.
The letter indicated that the panel was pulling new threads about the meeting, including following up on recent testimony given by FBI agent Thomas Sobocinski, who headed the Baltimore field office and new only told congressional investigators that he had no recollection of Weiss claiming he was blocked from seeking special counsel status.
Sobocinski contradicted Shapley’s recollection of that meeting, echoing Justice Department staff in saying that Weiss had overall authority over the case and could seek and be granted special counsel status at any time.
“My recollection of this is that it was a process or a bureaucratic thing that he went through, not an authorization or authority issue,” Sobocinski, special agent in charge of the Baltimore Field Office, said in a transcribed interview with the Judiciary Committee.
“Agreeing means, to me, that’s like, ‘Hey, I can say no.’ I really don’t think anyone above David Weiss would say no,” he added.
Jordan is also seeking more information about the two whistleblowers, requesting any and all documents or communications that refer to the two men, their plans to testify before Congress, the October 7 meeting, and Weiss’s authority to file charges against Biden.
Jordan targeted those who disagreed with Shapley’s account, also requesting all communications between Sobocinski, his representative Ryeshia Holley and Weiss.
Holley also reportedly said he did not recall Weiss saying he was fighting to get special counsel status.
He also said he doesn’t believe politics played a role in the speed of the investigation, another point Sobocinski made.
Weiss was elevated to special counsel in August, months after Shapley’s testimony in May. But the issue remains a focus of the GOP because Garland said Weiss has full authority to bring cases outside his district if he wants.
“He was advised that he should get whatever he needed,” Garland said in March.
The Justice Department confirmed receipt of the letter but declined to comment. Weiss’ office also declined to comment.
Updated at 8:47 p.m
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