An FBI agent working on the Hunter Biden investigation testified that Biden-appointed U.S. Attorneys in D.C. and the Central District of California did not cooperate with Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, the leading prosecutor on the case.
The FBI agent testified before the House Judiciary Committee and corroborated IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley’s testimony that Biden-appointed U.S. Attorney for D.C. Matthew Graves and Biden-appointed U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California E. Martin Estrada refused to work with Weiss on charging Hunter Biden for alleged tax offenses in their districts, according to a copy of the interview transcript reviewed by the Daily Caller. (RELATED: US Attorney Appeared To Block Top Hunter Biden Prosecutor From Charging Him In Hunter Biden Case, IRS Whistleblower Notes Show)
That’s the whole ballgame. The “other process” available to Weiss after being turned down by Biden-appointed U.S. attorneys was to get approval from the Biden-appointed attorney general. Admit it or not, after Graves and Estrada that made Garland the “deciding person,” not Weiss. https://t.co/cnloqeR61d
— Tristan Leavitt (@tristanleavitt) September 14, 2023
“I remember learning at some point in the investigation that Mr. Weiss would have to go through his other processes because the U.S. Attorney’s Offices had, I guess, in that sense, using that terminology, wasn’t going to partner,” the agent testified when asked about Graves.
The FBI agent was asked a follow up question about Estrada’s refusal to bring charges against Hunter Biden and said that Estrada would not bring charges, which the New York Times had confirmed prior to the FBI agent’s testimony.
“I understand that, yes, that a decision had been made that the Central District of California wasn’t going to, I guess my understanding is that they weren’t going to bring the case on their own,” the FBI agent stated.
Graves became D.C. U.S. Attorney in November 2021 after he was nominated by Joe Biden at the recommendation of Democratic D.C. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton. He previously worked for Biden’s presidential campaign and donated to the campaign on multiple occasions, according to a Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire and Federal Election Commission (FEC) records. (RELATED: DOJ Prosecutor Who Allegedly Refused To Charge Hunter Biden Made His Career Going After Financial Crimes)
Now, will Weiss try and parse this somehow by saying the other U.S. attorneys merely told him they’d *really rather he didn’t* pursue the charges? Or perhaps just say that another U.S. attorney declining to partner isn’t the same as being “denied the authority to bring charges”?
— Tristan Leavitt (@tristanleavitt) September 14, 2023
Estrada was nominated by Joe Biden and assumed his current role in September 2022, around the time prosecutors presented their case in California, Shapley testified. Estrada previously donated to Vice President Kamala Harris’ Democratic senate campaign in California, FEC records show.
The FBI agent disputed Shapley’s testimony that David Weiss lacked final charging authority on the Hunter Biden case prior to his special counsel designation.
“So, again, there had been a process. He would still have the authority to do so. It’s just that now he would do it differently,” the FBI agent testified.
Shapley testified to the House Ways and Means Committee in May that Hunter Biden allegedly received special treatment from investigators working on his tax case. The transcript of his testimony was released in June and he publicly testified in July alongside IRS whistleblower Joseph Ziegler.
Shapley’s attorneys released handwritten notes Wednesday from an Oct. 7, 2022 meeting where Weiss allegedly said he was not the final charging authority in the Hunter Biden case. His attorneys previously released an email Shapley sent documenting after Weiss denied Shapley’s accusations. Attorney General Merrick Garland has also denied Shapley’s allegations of political interference.
Garland appointed Weiss special counsel in August after Hunter Biden’s plea deal for two tax misdemeanors collapsed in July because of scrutiny from Delaware U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika. She questioned an immunity provision tucked into the pretrial diversion agreement for Biden’s felony gun charge that was paired with his guilty plea and that resulted in a dispute between Biden’s defense counsel and DOJ special attorney Leo Wise. Biden ended up pleading not guilty to the two tax offenses.
Weiss moved to withdraw Biden’s tax charges after his special counsel appointment to potentially charge him in D.C. or the Central District of California. Noreika subsequently granted Weiss’ request and dismissed Biden’s Delaware tax charges without prejudice.
Weiss is also seeking an indictment for the younger Biden’s felony gun charge by the end of the month. Hunter Biden’s legal team believes the pretrial diversion agreement is legally binding in contrast to the DOJ’s insistence it was never put into place.
The House Ways and Means, Judiciary and Oversight Committees continue to investigate Shapley’s accusations alongside House Oversight’s investigation into Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday the three committees will lead the House’s impeachment inquiry into President Biden.
Henry Rodgers contributed to this report