The House Judiciary, Oversight, and Ways and Means Committees issued subpoenas Monday to witnesses present or with direct knowledge of a key meeting described by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblower Gary Shapley in his Congressional testimony.
House Republicans subpoenaed two IRS officials and two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents regarding an Oct. 7, 2022 meeting described by Shapley where now-special counsel David Weiss allegedly told Department of Justice (DOJ) and IRS officials he did not have final charging authority after Weiss was allegedly denied from charging Hunter Biden by Biden-appointed Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves. (RELATED: Top Hunter Biden Prosecutor David Weiss Previously Worked With Beau Biden)
#NEWS: @JudiciaryGOP & @WaysandMeansGOP Issue Subpoenas Compelling Witness Testimony on Political Interference and Preferential Treatment in Hunter Biden Investigationhttps://t.co/6V54yIL7mS
— House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) August 21, 2023
“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,” House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan and House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith said in a press release.
“Americans deserve to know the truth, especially now that Attorney General Garland has appointed as special counsel the same U.S. Attorney who oversaw Hunter Biden’s sweetheart plea deal and botched the investigation into his alleged tax crimes.”
Shapley testified that Weiss was blocked from charging the president’s son by Graves and Biden-appointed U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California E. Martin Estrada. The New York Times independently confirmed Estrada blocked Weiss from charging Hunter Biden in California as part of the DOJ’s investigation into Biden’s taxes. (RELATED: DOJ Attorneys Who Allegedly Refused To Charge Hunter Biden Donated To Joe Biden And Kamala Harris, Records Show)
Shapley’s attorneys released in July an October 2022 email Shapley sent about Weiss allegedly not possessing final charging authority in the Hunter Biden case. “Weiss stated that he is not the deciding person on whether charges are filed,” Shapley said.
“I believe this to be a huge problem—inconsistent with DOJ public position and Merrick Garland testimony,” he continued. Shapley also said Weiss requested special counsel authority and was rejected by the DOJ, an allegation both Weiss and Garland have denied.
Garland testified on multiple occasions about how the Hunter Biden investigation was free from political interference, contradicting Shapley’s Congressional testimony about political bias in the case.
“Absolutely not and the president has not done that, and the president has committed not to interfere, not only in that investigation but any other kind of investigation,” Garland testified to Republican Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty in April 2022. He made similar claims to Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley in March 2022 and denied Shapley’s accusation.
Weiss said in a July letter to Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham that he had “ultimate” charging authority and never requested special counsel status. Before that, Weiss said in a June letter to Republican Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan that his charging authority was limited to his district as Delaware’s U.S. Attorney.
Shapley and IRS whistleblower Joseph Ziegler have both accused the agency of retaliation for going public with accusations that DOJ prosecutors slow-walked and obstructed the Hunter Biden case. IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel testified to the House Ways and Means Committee in April and said the whistleblowers would not face retaliation.
“Although we cannot comment on matters pertaining to specific taxpayers or employees, the IRS continues to work cooperatively with the committee to support its oversight efforts. We are committed to proceeding in a manner consistent with our legal obligations to taxpayers and to our employees, and which also ensures the integrity of pending investigations and litigation. We will continue our dialogue with the committee and work to strike an appropriate balance of these important considerations,” the IRS told the Daily Caller in a statement.