In a revelation that challenges Attorney General Merrick Garland's sworn testimony, David Weiss, the federal prosecutor examining Hunter Biden's case, asserted last year that he was barred from pressing charges against Biden outside Delaware. Weiss further disclosed that he was denied the status of special counsel, according to an Internal Revenue Service whistleblower's legal representatives.
Gary Shapley, an IRS supervisor, recounted to the House Ways and Means Committee the meeting held on October 7, 2022, where Weiss revealed, “I’m not the deciding official on whether charges are filed."
Weiss' statement shocked the meeting attendees, including IRS investigators and FBI agents, particularly when he informed them that the District of Columbia’s U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, appointed by President Biden, would not permit him to charge Hunter Biden within his district.
According to Shapley, this refusal by Graves meant that the president's son would not face charges related to alleged activities in 2014 and 2015, including "foreign income from Burisma [Holdings] and a scheme to evade his income taxes through a partnership with a convicted felon.” Shapley argued this exclusion "sanitized the most substantive criminal conduct and concealed material facts.”
Shapley further revealed that Weiss was denied special counsel authority by the Department of Justice (DOJ), contrary to standard procedure, which typically directs a U.S. Attorney through another attorney appointed by President Biden.
Shapley's legal team identified four of the six witnesses present at the October 7 meeting, including Baltimore FBI Special Agent in Charge Tom Sobocinski and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryeshia Holley, along with Shapley and his boss, IRS Special Agent in Charge Darrell Waldon.
An internal IRS email released with Shapley's testimony, commenting on the meeting, states Weiss' disclosure was “a huge problem — inconsistent with DOJ public position and Merrick Garland testimony.”
None of the attendees responded to requests for comment on the meeting.
The perjury allegations against Garland and the DOJ's statements are set to be scrutinized by House Republicans, led by Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) expressed the need to reconcile these discrepancies and indicated an impending impeachment inquiry into Garland's "weaponization of DOJ.”
Garland has previously pointed out that Weiss was appointed by former President Donald Trump and continued his investigation under President Biden's term, free to prosecute "any way in which he wanted to and in any district in which he wanted to.”
Hunter Biden, following a five-year investigation into possible tax and gun crimes, is expected in federal court on July 26 under a plea deal with Weiss’ office that includes probation.