The Department of Justice pulled a last-minute maneuver to block an FBI agent allegedly involved in Big Tech’s suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story from testifying before Congress. 

The House Judiciary Committee is investigating whether Hunter Biden’s laptop was downplayed by social media companies. As part of the probe, Chairman Jim Jordan uncovered that an FBI agent involved in the saga – Elvis Chan – lied about the computer.

Chan had agreed to voluntarily appear Friday to provide the committee testimony and be represented by his personal counsel. 

Agency witnesses are allowed to bring either agency counsel or personal counsel to committee interviews, but not both. The rule is set up so agency witnesses can be more candid in testimony without fear of professional retribution, according to the committee.

But two sources with direct knowledge of the situation tell DailyMail.com that DOJ derailed the testimony because agency counsel also showed up Friday morning. As a result, Chan’s interview did not take place as planned.

Now, an official subpoena is expected to be issued later Friday for Chan to appear for a transcribed interview next Thursday, Sept. 21. 

The FBI disputed the claim that DOJ blocked Chan from testifying, calling it a ‘significant departure’ from normal procedures. And the DOJ said the committee blocked the interview, not them.

‘Today, after an FBI employee traveled across the country to voluntarily participate in a scheduled interview, he was denied the right to have his chosen legal counsel accompany him,’ an FBI spokesperson told DailyMail.com.

‘Upon arrival at the Capitol, Committee staff directed agency counsel to leave the premises, and the interview was unable to proceed. This is a significant departure from normal procedures and an unnecessary escalation of this Committee’s treatment of FBI officials. The FBI employee remains willing to take part in a voluntary interview with appropriate legal representation.’

‘The FBI recognizes the importance of congressional oversight and will continue to proceed in accordance with the long established accommodations process,’ the spokesperson continued.

The spokesperson also noted that more than a dozen other FBI employees have participated in interviews with the committee with no incident.

A Justice Department official told DailyMail.com that ‘DOJ did not block the interview, the Committee did.’

‘Agent Chan chose to be represented by both agency and personal counsel. He went to the Capitol this morning to testify and, instead of asking him questions, Committee staff turned him away and threatened to throw agency counsel out of the room.’ 

Last month, Jordan published excerpts of the testimony given by Chan, who served as one of the FBI’s liaisons with tech companies, and Laura Dehmlow, the current FBI section chief of the Foreign Influence Task Force.

Chan testified in November 2022 as part of Missouri and Louisiana‘s lawsuit against the federal government and the Biden administration for colluding with social media companies to censor speech.

Jordan said that Chan held a repeat meeting with Facebook about the laptop, but testified he had only had one session. He also testified that he was not aware of internal debate about the laptop, but told a colleague he was ‘up to speed.’

Dehmlow spoke to Jordan’s committee earlier this summer without incident. 

Jordan said that Dehmlow revealed how the FBI knew the laptop was not a forgery or plant, but refused to confirm its authenticity to social media companies. 

Jordan recently publicized internal Facebook documents have resulted in bombshell revelations about Hunter Biden’s laptop, arguing that it illustrated the FBI knew the laptop was authentic and belonged to him – but refused to confirm the fact to Facebook and Twitter.

That decision led to the New York Post’s report about the laptop being blocked by the social media companies, who labelled it as disinformation.

‘Internal FB docs reveal that an FBI Special Agent made false statements in testimony about the FBI’s role in the suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story,’ tweeted Jordan last month.

Jordan explained in a Twitter thread how, on October 14, 2020, The New York Post published its first story about the laptop, which Biden had left behind in a Delaware repair shop.

The laptop contained damning pictures of Hunter doing drugs and enjoying the company of prostitutes. 

It also contained emails and massive amounts of information about his business dealings. 

On the day the Post published its story, Chan and Dehmlow met with representatives of Twitter and then Facebook.

Twitter’s team asked whether the FBI thought Hunter Biden’s laptop was real: one FBI representative replied yes, and then another quickly said: ‘No comment.’

Dehmlow told Jordan’s committee that there was then internal deliberations, and it was decided that the answer would be ‘no comment’ from then on.

At the next meeting, with Facebook, Dehmlow herself told Facebook ‘no comment’ when asked if the laptop was real.

‘It was an ongoing investigation, and we generally don’t comment on ongoing investigative matters when asked,’ she told Jordan’s committee.

Jordan on Monday declared: ‘Did Dehmlow know that the FBI had the laptop and it was real? Yes.

‘Did other key members of the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force know? Yes.

‘The FBI knew the laptop was real and yet decided it would say ‘no comment.’

‘We know what happened next.

‘Twitter and Facebook censored the @nypost story.

‘The Biden campaign secretly set in motion the events that led to the 51 former intel officials discrediting the story as Russian disinformation.’

Jordan and his allies are convinced that the FBI was working to discredit the story, in a bid to downplay it and help Joe Biden’s electoral chances.

Jordan then singled out extracts from Chan’s testimony at the end of last year.

Chan was asked by the Missouri and Louisiana officials whether he had been involved in any meetings after October 14 with Facebook, where the Hunter Biden laptop was discussed.

Chan replied that he did not believe so.

‘I was confident that I was not a party to any meeting with social media companies where Hunter Biden was discussed outside of the one incident that I told you about,’ said Chan.

However, Jordan said that his committee ‘recently obtained an internal Facebook document PROVING that Agent Chan had a secret ‘follow up’ call with Facebook about the Hunter Biden laptop story on October 15, just one day after the @nypost story and the first Facebook meeting!’

Jordan noted that Chan also claimed that he had ‘no internal knowledge of [the FBI’s] investigation’ involving Hunter Biden’s laptop, but according to internal Facebook documents told a colleague he was ‘up to speed on the current state of the matter within the FBI.’

Jordan added: ‘Is there any wonder why the Biden DOJ has so far stonewalled the Committee’s efforts to interview Agent Chan?’

The committee still plans to get to the bottom of the ‘lie’ when Chan sits down with them next week.  

DOJ admits there are potential ‘limitations’ to open investigation into whistleblower’s bombshell Hunter Biden probe politicization claims

• Republicans are worried that the DOJ is stonewalling watchdog Horowitz from conducting an investigation of the whistleblower claims
• IRS Whistleblower Gary Shapley stated publicly that he’s brought his concerns to DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz 

By Morgan Phillips, U.S. Political Reporter For Dailymail.Com

Updated: 16:26 EDT, 22 August 2023

The top Republican investigating Biden family corruption is outraged at a new report revealing that Hunter Biden‘s legal team urged the Department of Justice to prosecute IRS whistleblowers accusing the department of giving him ‘special treatment.’

According to correspondence obtained by the New York Times, Special Counsel David Weiss did not plan to charge the president’s son with any tax crimes until after two IRS whistleblowers came forward alleging illegal politicization of Hunter’s case.

In addition, the report states that Hunter’s legal team were disgruntled at the IRS agents who ‘affected the deal’ that fell apart in court last month – in part due to the allegations brought to light by the agents. 

As a result, Hunter’s lawyers ‘contended to the Justice Department that by disclosing details about the investigation to Congress, they broke the law and should be prosecuted.’

‘Biden family attorneys are now pushing the Biden DOJ to prosecute IRS whistleblowers for sharing information with Congress,’ House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer fumed in response to the report.

‘These brave whistleblowers testified under oath and deserve protection. This witness intimidation is unacceptable,’ he continued on Twitter, now known as ‘X.’

Attorneys for the whistleblowers said that if it weren’t for their ‘courageous actions’ Hunter would never have been charged at all.

Comer, R-Ky., told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on ‘Sunday Morning Futures’ that Republicans are ‘facing obstruction like has never been demonstrated in the history of congressional investigations.’

‘Not only are we being obstructed by the Biden legal team, we’re being obstructed by the Department of Justice. We’re being obstructed by the FBI, by the Secret Service, by the IRS, by the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee. And the next question is will we be obstructed by the new Special Counsel David Weiss investigating this.’

As for next steps in the GOP probe, they will be focused on nailing down the Biden family’s overseas accounts. 

‘We’ve heard a report from a whistleblower that there are overseas accounts and we’re going to be working with the Ways and Means Committee to try to get those overseas accounts,’ he pledged.

The committee announced last week it is seeking records from the National Archives revealing Joe Biden’s use of pseudonyms to discuss his activities related to Ukraine with his son Hunter during his time as vice president. 

According to the New York Times, four years into Weiss’ five-year investigation, Weiss determined he did not have enough evidence to charge the president’s son.

During negotiations with Hunter’s lawyers earlier this year, Weiss reportedly was working on a deal where Hunter would not have to plead guilty to any charges at all – including misdemeanors. 

At the same time, whistleblower Gary Shapley came forward and alleged that DOJ in Washington, D.C., and California had refused to indict Hunter due to ‘political pressures’ and the president’s son received ‘special treatment.’

And only a few days later, Weiss then changed his tune and wanted Hunter to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges, according to the New York Times.

That was the plan, until the deal blew up spectacularly in court last month.

Hunter appeared in federal court on July 26 prepared to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and walk away with just a slap on the wrist and no prison time. Republicans slammed as a ‘sweetheart deal’ that Biden’s DOJ put together to protect the president’s son.

However, after Judge Maryellen Noreika questioned the ‘diversion agreement’ of Hunter’s plea deal – a clause that gave him blanket immunity for a wide range of other potential charges, including illegal foreign lobbying – the deal blew up spectacularly. 

Noreika dismissed the charges in Delaware after requests from the prosecution last week. 

In addition, Attorney General Merrick Garland promoted Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss – the main Hunter prosecutor – to special counsel status earlier this month. 

As a result, DOJ lawyers are not planning to enter into a new plea deal with the president’s son anytime soon, and he is likely to head to trial for tax and gun crimes following the appointment of the special counsel.

Hunter’s attorney Abbe Lowell slammed prosecutors for changing their decision ‘on the fly standing up in court’ and also pledged that the DOJ will find ‘no new evidence’ against the president’s son.

Garland’s decision to promote Weiss to special counsel comes after recent whistleblower allegations that Hunter received ‘special treatment’ during the criminal probe.

IRS agents Joe Ziegler and Gary Shapley testified under oath to House Republicans that their investigation ‘supported felony and misdemeanor tax charges,’ which were ultimately not brought against the president’s son Hunter due to political pressures.

Weiss tried to bring felony charges against him in Washington, D.C., they said, but was blocked by the district’s top federal prosecutor Matthew Graves, a Biden appointee.

The ‘special treatment’ for Hunter became a pattern that kept happening over and over, said the whistleblowers who were told they would get in ‘hot water’ if they tried to speak with President Joe Biden’s adult children and grandchildren over the course of their investigation.

The collapse of Hunter Biden’s original plea deal also presents more problems for his father, Joe Biden. The president will now face more headlines and questions involving his drug-addict son’s case as he hits the 2024 campaign trail.

The unraveling of the agreement between prosecutors and the defense team means Hunter could now face more charges. It also means that Hunter is likely to face additional prosecutions down the road.

Those may include any crimes related to his business deals with Ukraine, Romania and China that raked in millions of dollars.

And Republicans say Joe was at the center of them.

The White House has maintained that the president has never been ‘in business’ with his son. 

DOJ accused of ‘witness intimidation’ following bombshell report

By Kelly Laco, Executive Editor Of Politics For Dailymail.Com

Published: 12:34 EDT, 21 August 2023 | Updated: 12:34 EDT, 21 August 2023

Advertisement

Republicans claimed that the third indictment of former President Trump is a ‘witch hunt’ conveniently timed to come down one day after Devon Archer testified about the Biden family business deals. 

‘When you drain the swamp, the swamp fights back. Trump did nothing wrong!’ Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, cried on Twitter. 

‘Less than 24 hours ago, Congress heard testimony from Hunter Biden‘s longtime business partner that Joe Biden joined Hunter’s business calls over 20 times,’ said GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik. 

‘Today’s sham indictment of Donald Trump is yet another desperate attempt to distract attention away from the mounting evidence of Joe Biden’s direct involvement in his family’s illegal influence peddling scheme.’

Trump is facing four counts including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and obstruct the electoral count for trying to overturn the 2020 election. The 45-page indictment says he was ‘determined to remain in power’ despite ‘having lost.’

The former president has been summoned to appear before a federal magistrate judge on Thursday in Washington, D.C. There are also six unnamed alleged co-conspirators according to the indictment.

A source familiar had confirmed to DailyMail.com that Trump was informed he was indicted Tuesday afternoon in the January 6 case. Special Counsel Jack Smith is expected to make a public statement regarding the indictment at 6 p.m.

He is already facing 40 federal charges in Florida relating to his handling of sensitive government documents after leaving office, and is due to stand trial in New York next year accused of falsifying business documents after making a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

The criminal cases have plunged the country into uncharted legal and political territory, as Trump accuses prosecutors of trying to derail his election campaign.

The latest indictment comes amid a slew of investigations into the events of January 6, 2020, when Trump supporters clashed with police and overran the U.S. Capitol, and the way the then president tried to overturn the result.

The Trump campaign put out a statement calling the indictment another ‘witch hunt.’

Speaker Kevin McCarthy linked the indictment to Archer’s testimony in a Twitter post.

‘Everyone in America could see what was going to come next: DOJ’s attempt to distract from the news and attack the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, President Trump.’

Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., said of the indictment: ‘It’s no surprise at all that following Devon Archer’s damning testimony yesterday, the DOJ drops more charges against President Trump. Their efforts at distraction can never change the real problem: President Biden is in serious trouble.’ 

Other Republicans renewed calls to defund the FBI and Department of Justice.  

‘DEFUND JACK SMITH’S WITCH HUNT AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP!’ said Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. 

Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., accused the DOJ of undermining democracy. 

‘Our democracy depends on voters being able to vote for the candidate of their choice in a free & fair election. Biden’s DOJ has decided to attack our democracy by interfering in the 2024 election to help their boss, Joe Biden, and hurt his chief rival, President Trump.’ 

‘Election interference,’ tweeted the House Judiciary Republicans.  

While Minnesota Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips insisted Trump is ‘innocent until proven guilty, Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., insisted it’s ‘about damn time’ Trump was charged. 

‘Donald Trump led a treasonous conspiracy to overturn the results of a free and fair election that he lost. It’s about damn time he joins the over 1,000 domestic terrorists who have been charged for participating in the January 6th insurrection,’ Gomez wrote on Twitter. 

‘Another indictment and another stain on our great nation. No one, even former presidents, is above the law in America and everyone, including former presidents, are innocent until proven guilty,’ said Phillips.  

Special Counsel Jack Smith was appointed last year to lead the federal probe.

In June, he brought charges in the documents case while continuing to present Jan. 6 evidence to a grand jury sitting in Washington D.C.

Trump has always denied wrongdoing.

But he revealed a few weeks ago that he had received a letter from the Justice Department indicating that he was a target of its Jan. 6 investigation.

Such letters are generally an indication that the target will face charges.

‘Deranged Jack Smith, the prosecutor with Joe Biden’s DOJ, sent a letter … stating that I am a target of the January 6th grand jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the grand jury, which almost always means an arrest and an indictment,’ he posted on his Truth Social site.

Once again, the former president managed to blow up the news cycle and his 2024 rivals’ plans by revealing the latest legal twist himself.

He added in all caps: ‘This witch hunt is all about election interference and a complete and total political weaponization of law enforcement.’

Smith, whose most recent role was prosecuting war crimes, has cast a wide net over Trump’s efforts to stay in power. That includes examining lawyers who pushed to reverse results, proposals to seize voting machines, fundraising for the Jan. 6 protest, as well as a plan to use a slate of ‘fake electors’ in states won by Joe Biden to upend the certification process.

The Justice Department on Sunday told a New York judge they do not wish to see Hunter Biden‘s former business associate imprisoned before he testifies about their schemes.

Devon Archer is due to testify to Congress, behind closed doors, on Monday.

It was suggested that the Justice Department wanted him arrested first, but on Sunday they wrote a letter clarifying that he must be free to testify before any such steps are taken.

The Department of Justice sent a letter to a judge Saturday urging an expedited sentencing for Archer – for an unrelated fraud conviction – in what was seen as a last-minute attempt to stop his testimony. 

Republicans say the move by DOJ was an attempt to ‘intimidate’ Archer, who they view as being central to providing information that is critical to their ongoing investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings.

Top Republican James Comer said Sunday that DOJ’s highly unusual action on a Saturday was an attempt to ‘intimidate’ the witness he says key to getting to the bottom of the president’s son’s shady overseas business deals. 

He said on Fox’s Sunday Morning Futures: ‘It’s odd that it’s right before he’s scheduled to come in to have an opportunity to speak in front of the House Oversight Committee and tell the American people the truth about what really went on with Burisma.’ 

Hours later, the Justice Department issued a new letter saying they never intended to see Archer locked up before he testified to Congress. 

Joe Biden on Sunday appeared the picture of calm on Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, despite reports that Archer plans to implicate Joe in his son’s foreign business schemes.

Archer is expected to provide details that will challenge the White House’s insistence that Joe Biden never had any knowledge of or involvement in his wayward son’s business affairs. 

A source close to Archer confirmed reports that he is set to testify about meetings he attended with his and Hunter’s foreign business partners, where the First Son allegedly had Joe Biden on speakerphone. 

DailyMail.com reported exclusively this week that Archer is ‘in hiding’ after receiving ‘threats’ leading up to his bombshell testimony. 

But such testimony appeared to be far from the president’s mind who was seen relaxing on the sands in 80 degree sunshine during the 10-day trip to his beach home.

Since taking office, Biden has spent 360 days, some 39 percent of his presidency, on vacation with hundreds of days outside of Washington D.C.

The president and his wife Jill could be seen strolling to the private beach of North Shores which is for residents only and accessible only with a permit.

Biden could be seen carrying a towel over his shoulder together with a reusable shopping bag from a local bookstore. 

Dressed in a navy T-shirt, baseball cap and blue swimming shorts, he walked alongside his wife who was also seen wearing a violet cover-up, white top and baseball cap.

Biden’s staff notes that the presidency follows him wherever he goes, so the president will continue to receive security briefings and have access to aides who join him on the trip. 

Last week, Biden managed to avoid making any new comments about his son’s predicament, after a plea deal that would have had him avoid jail time fell apart under withering questioning by a federal judge. 

As he lazed about on the sands, it appeared as though Joe was leafing through some government papers, while Jill looked to be engrossed in a hardback of sorts. 

The content may be nothing compared to what the House Oversight Committee will be hearing from Archer on Monday, particularly on ‘whether foreign actors targeted the Bidens and if the president was involved in his family’s business dealings.’ 

Archer’s expected testimony Monday comes after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy indicated this week that he is mulling opening an impeachment inquiry into President Biden for his ‘lies’ about his involvement in Hunter’s dealings.

Archer, 48, was subpoenaed on June 12 by the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating Hunter’s businesses and whether he and other members of the Biden family improperly traded on their connections.

It is unclear the motivation behind Archer’s decision to testify on Monday. He previously cancelled on the committee at least three times in recent weeks. 

Chairman Comer told Fox News’ Larry Kudlow that Archer is appearing before his committee now because after he was subpoenaed, he ‘doesn’t have a whole lot of options.’

He said Republicans planned to hold him in contempt if he did not comply with the subpoena, which doesn’t ‘look good on your resume.’

‘At the end of the day, I think that Archer wants to do the right thing,’ he said. ‘I think he wants to set the record straight and he is going to have an opportunity to do that.’

A close associate of Archer told the New York Post he is testifying about his time working with Hunter because he believes it is his ‘civic duty.’ 

It comes as Archer is also facing legal troubles of his own and is expected to go to prison shortly.

He was sentenced to one year and a day in prison in February 2022 for defrauding a Native American tribal entity and various investment advisory clients of tens of millions of dollars, in connection with the issuance of $60 million in bonds. 

He is on the hook with his co-conspirators for $43.4 million in restitution over the fraud.

Archer’s lawyer confirmed his upcoming meeting with Congress, adding that Archer had previously testified to a federal grand jury about his dealings with the Biden family – likely referring to Delaware prosecutor David Weiss’ criminal investigation into the First Son.

‘Devon Archer believes strongly in the rule of law and the democratic system, and is prepared to answer the Committee’s questions just as he has already answered similar questions from a federal grand jury, the Department of Justice, and several other government agencies in their investigations concerning the Biden family,’ said attorney Matthew Schwartz of Boies Schiller Flexner.

‘There have been many leaks and much speculation about Mr. Archer’s potential statement to the Oversight Committee, but next week, Mr. Archer will get to speak for himself.’

The White House has maintained the president was never ‘in business’ with his son, but the GOP have ramped up their investigation with testimonies from whistleblowers and a slew of other evidence. 

Archer, 48, and Hunter both graduated from Yale and were friends for decades. Hunter has reportedly described Devon as his ‘best friend in business.’

Together they formed Rosemont Seneca Partners back in 2009, along with Christopher Heinz, the son-in-law of former Sen. John Kerry, kicking off a period of international business deals and jet-setting. 

Archer and Hunter Biden each landed lucrative seats on the board of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma, despite Hunter not having particular expertise in the field. The firm brought in a reported $11 million through the arrangement, based on information gleaned from Hunter’s infamous laptop.

They were photographed golfing with then-Vice President Biden back in 2014.

Hunter’s ex-business partner is planning to testify to the committee that Hunter used this speakerphone call tactic at least two dozen times, according to a New York Post report published Monday.

One alleged example is after a Burisma board meeting in Dubai on December 4, 2015.

Devon allegedly claims Hunter was with him, Burisma owner Nikolai Zlochevsky, and executive Vadym Pozharskyi at the bar of the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach.

Burisma executive Vadym Pozharskyi allegedly asked Hunter: ‘Can you ring your dad?’

According to the Post report, Hunter called Joe, introduced ‘Nikolai and Vadym’, and told his father they ‘need our support’.

Three days later Joe flew to address the Ukrainian parliament on the ‘poison of cronyism, corruption, and kleptocracy.’

At the time, Zlochevsky was under criminal investigation in Ukraine, and had his assets seized. But in March 2016, after Joe Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in U.S. aid to Ukraine, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin was fired.

Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss – who is the lead criminal investigator into Hunter Biden’s gun and tax crimes – is set to testify before the House of Representatives in September or October.

The Department of Justice has accepted an invitation from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan for Weiss to testify at a ‘public hearing’ in the coming months.

‘The Department is ready to offer U.S. Attorney Weiss to testify shortly after Congress returns from the August district work period,’ says a letter obtained by DailyMail.com from Assistant Attorney General Carlos Felipe Uriarte to Jordan, R-Ohio.

Uriarte writes that DOJ is concerned about ‘misrepresentations’ about its work on the Hunter Biden investigation following new testimony from IRS whistleblowers who allege the department engaged in preferential treatment for the president’s son.

Last week, two IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler testified under oath that Hunter Biden received ‘special’ treatment in the investigation into his financial dealings led by Weiss. They said that Hunter’s tax charges should have been a felony, but that political pressures led to the first son’s ‘sweetheart deal’ instead.

‘We are deeply concerned by any misrepresentations about our work—whether deliberate or arising from misunderstandings—that could unduly harm public confidence in the evenhanded administration of justice, to which we are dedicated,’ DOJ says in the letter.

‘The Department, therefore, reaffirms U.S. Attorney Weiss’s commitment to providing public testimony, consistent with law and Department policy, to protect these principles.’

According to the letter, Weiss will be available to testify on September 27, September 28, October 18 and October 19. 

Republicans including Jordan have pointed out discrepancies between Attorney General Merrick Garland and U.S. Attorney Weiss’ public statements on the Hunter Biden case and who had ‘full authority’ to charge the president’s son. 

Ziegler and Shapley testified last week that Weiss asked U.S. Attorney for D.C. Matthew Graves to bring ‘felony and misdemeanor tax’ charges agains the president’s son. 

But after Graves refused, Weiss threw out the potential felony charges and struck a plea deal with the president’s son that did not include any jail time. Hunter is expected in court Wednesday for the plea deal to be made official.

‘I watched U.S. Attorney [David] Weiss tell a room full of senior FBI and IRS senior leaders on October 7, 2022, that he was not the deciding person on whether charges were filed,’ Shapley said, contradicting Weiss’ previous public statements.

‘If the Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss followed DOJ policy as he stated in his most recent letter, Hunter Biden should have been charged with a tax felony, and not only the tax misdemeanor charge,’ said Ziegler.

‘We need to treat each taxpayer the same under the law.’

Their testimony comes after Weiss recently sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee attempting to clarify his role in the probe and insisted that he actually holds the ‘ultimate authority’ in the criminal gun and tax case against the president’s son.

He explained that as the U.S. attorney for Delaware, his charging authority is normally ‘geographically limited’ to that district – but said that Attorney General Merrick Garland had promised to grant him special attorney status to bring charges anywhere.

However, Garland said last month that Weiss was free ‘to make a decision to prosecute any way in which he wanted to and in any district in which he wanted to.’

DOJ attempted to clear up the discrepancies in the letter to Jordan. 

‘While testimony at this early juncture must be appropriately limited to protect the ongoing matter and important confidentiality interests, the Department acknowledges your stated interest in addressing aspects of this matter in the near term, such as U.S. Attorney Weiss’s authority and jurisdiction to bring charges wherever he deems appropriate.’

Chairman Jordan threatened last week to use subpoenas to compel testimony by Weiss and other associates linked to the Hunter Biden investigation. 

DOJ said that the subpoena threat is ‘unjustified and premature’ at this juncture. 

‘We are, therefore, deeply concerned by your notification today that the Committee has authorized deposition subpoenas for the individuals identified in your letter. Any attempts at compulsory process are unjustified and premature.’