U.S. Attorney in Delaware, David C. Weiss, has denied ever asking to be named a special counsel in the criminal investigation of Hunter Biden. This contradicts testimony given by an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) official, Gary Shapley, who claimed that Weiss had sought special counsel status and was turned down. In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Weiss stated that he had only discussed the possibility of being appointed as a special attorney, which would have allowed him to file charges in a district outside of his own without the partnership of the local U.S. attorney. Weiss clarified that he had not requested special counsel designation in this case.
The investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes has faced criticism from Republicans, who argue that it is a “sweetheart deal” for the president’s son and that political interference played a role in the outcome. Shapley’s testimony has been used to support these claims. Speaker Kevin McCarthy has even suggested the possibility of pursuing impeachment charges against Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
Weiss defended the integrity of the five-year investigation, which recently resulted in a plea deal where Hunter Biden will plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges. Weiss stated that he had considered seeking more serious tax charges against Biden outside of Delaware but did not specify if he had followed through with this request. He also did not directly address Shapley’s assertion that Biden-appointed U.S. attorneys in California and Washington had blocked him from prosecuting Hunter Biden on felony tax charges.
The investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes was initiated by the Trump Justice Department in 2018 and eventually handed over to Weiss, a Republican who had bipartisan support during his confirmation. Weiss has been kept in charge of the inquiry by the department’s interim leadership and Attorney General Garland to avoid any appearance of political meddling.
Shapley, who oversaw the IRS’s role in the investigation, testified before the House Ways and Means Committee that Weiss had been turned down when he sought special counsel status after being told by local prosecutors that he could not bring charges. Shapley also claimed that his criticism of the Justice Department led to him being denied a promotion and blamed Weiss for criticizing him to his superiors. Weiss denied these allegations in a letter to Representative Jim Jordan, stating that he did not retaliate against Shapley.
Has U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss pursued more serious tax charges against Hunter Biden outside of Delaware
U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss of Delaware has denied claims that he ever requested special counsel status in the criminal investigation of Hunter Biden. This contradicts the testimony given by IRS official Gary Shapley, who stated that Weiss had sought special counsel designation but was denied. In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Weiss clarified that he had only discussed the possibility of being appointed as a special attorney, which would have allowed him to file charges in a different district without the local U.S. attorney’s involvement. Weiss emphasized that he had not specifically requested special counsel status in this case.
The investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes has faced criticism from Republicans who believe it is a favoritism towards the president’s son, with allegations of political interference influencing the outcome. Shapley’s testimony has been cited as evidence supporting these claims. Speaker Kevin McCarthy has even suggested the potential pursuit of impeachment charges against Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
Weiss has defended the integrity of the five-year investigation, which recently led to a plea deal where Hunter Biden will plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges. While Weiss indicated that he had considered pursuing more serious tax charges against Biden outside of Delaware, he did not specify if he proceeded with this request. Furthermore, Weiss did not directly confront Shapley’s assertion that Biden-appointed U.S. attorneys in California and Washington had prevented him from prosecuting Hunter Biden on felony tax charges.
The investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes was initiated by the Trump Justice Department in 2018 and subsequently handed over to Weiss, a Republican who received bipartisan support during his confirmation process. Weiss has continued to oversee the inquiry under the department’s interim leadership and Attorney General Garland to prevent any perception of political interference.
Shapley, who supervised the IRS’s involvement in the investigation, testified before the House Ways and Means Committee that Weiss had been denied special counsel status after local prosecutors informed him that he couldn’t bring charges. Shapley also claimed that his criticism of the Justice Department resulted in him being denied a promotion, attributing the blame to Weiss for criticizing him to his superiors. In response, Weiss denied these allegations in a letter to Representative Jim Jordan, asserting that he did not retaliate against Shapley.
It’s reassuring to see the U.S. Attorney in Delaware clarify that they are not seeking special counsel status in the Hunter Biden investigation. Transparency and adherence to legal processes are crucial in order to maintain trust and integrity in the justice system.
It is important to acknowledge the denial from the U.S. Attorney in Delaware regarding the request for special counsel in the Hunter Biden investigation. Transparency in legal proceedings plays a crucial role in addressing public concerns, and this statement reinforces the commitment to hold investigations without bias or political motivations.