Current:Home > FinanceDelaware U.S. attorney says Justice Dept. officials gave him broad authority in Hunter Biden probe, contradicting whistleblower testimony -ValueCore
Delaware U.S. attorney says Justice Dept. officials gave him broad authority in Hunter Biden probe, contradicting whistleblower testimony
View
Date:2025-04-15 20:27:26
Washington — The U.S. attorney in charge of the federal investigation into Hunter Biden said Justice Department officials assured him that he would be authorized to bring charges in jurisdictions outside of Delaware, according to a letter to Congress obtained by CBS News.
In his correspondence to Senate Judiciary Ranking Member Lindsey Graham, Trump-appointed Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss said that he wrote "to clarify an apparent misperception and to avoid future confusion" connected to recent allegations by whistleblower IRS agents who worked on the Hunter Biden matter.
Last month, Weiss charged the president's son with two misdemeanor tax charges — to which Hunter Biden will plead guilty — and a felony gun charge that will be entered into a diversion program.
Speaking with congressional investigators and CBS News in recent weeks, Gary Shapley, a top IRS agent on the case, said the investigators' findings supported more severe charges and that Weiss was blocked from bringing charges in jurisdictions outside of Delaware, including in Washington, D.C.
Shapley also said Weiss told the investigatory team during an October 7, 2022 meeting that he had requested and was denied special counsel status to handle the matter. "Weiss stated that he is not the deciding person on whether charges are filed," Shapley wrote to his supervisor in contemporaneous e-mail correspondence of the meeting he said he provided to congressional investigators.
"I wish to make one point clear: in this case, I have not requested Special Counsel designation," Weiss said in his letter on Monday. "I had discussions with Departmental officials regarding potential appointment under 28 U.S.C. § 515, which would have allowed me to file charges in a district outside my own without the partnership of the local U.S. Attorney. I was assured that I would be granted this authority if it proved necessary. And this assurance came months before the October 7, 2022, meeting referenced throughout the whistleblowers' allegations."
The section of U.S. law Weiss referenced in his letter allows for prosecutors to be designated by the attorney general to pursue investigations and charges outside of their federal jurisdiction. "Each attorney specially retained under authority of the Department of Justice shall be commissioned as special assistant to the Attorney General or special attorney, and shall take the oath required by law," the statute advises.
In the letter, Weiss said he had "never been denied the authority to bring charges in any jurisdiction," echoing statements Attorney General Merrick Garland made last month.
"[Weiss] had and has complete authority … to bring a case anywhere he wants, in his discretion," Garland said.
Responding to Weiss' letter on Monday, Shapley's attorneys said in a statement, "U.S. Attorney David Weiss's story continues to change. As a practical matter, it makes no difference whether Weiss requested special counsel or special attorney authority. Under no circumstances should 'the process' have included the political appointees of the subject's father, because Congress and the public had been assured it would not—but it did."
Shapley, who is still a supervisory special agent with the IRS, said investigators were prevented from pursuing leads that involved President Joe Biden, and testified that during an hourslong 2020 meeting, prosecutors sought to limit questions related to then-President-elect Joe Biden to potential witnesses.
A spokesperson for Weiss' office previously declined to comment on the allegations.
Mr. Biden and the White House have consistently denied the president had any involvement in his son's business deals. Asked about Shapley's testimony on June 23, the White House referred CBS News to a previously-released statement.
"President Biden has made clear that this matter would be handled independently by the Justice Department, under the leadership of a U.S. attorney appointed by former President Trump, free from any political interference by the White House," the statement said. "He has upheld that commitment."
House Republicans have since sought to interview Weiss and members of the investigatory team about the matter.
Garland said last month he would support Weiss' public testimony about the investigation at an appropriate time.
In his letter on Monday — his second in recent weeks to congressional Republicans — Weiss said, "I welcome the opportunity to respond to these claims in more detail at the appropriate future time, as authorized by the law and Department policy."
Hunter Biden's agreement with prosecutors must be approved by a judge, and a plea hearing is currently set for July 26.
Catherine Herridge contributed to this report.
- In:
- Hunter Biden
veryGood! (656)
Related
- The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
- Ohio prosecutors seek to dismiss 1 of 2 murder counts filed against ex-deputy who killed Black man
- Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupts in remote summit region
- Book Review: ‘When the Sea Came Alive’ expands understanding of D-Day invasion
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Two fetuses discovered on city bus in Baltimore, police say
- Confrontation between teen and NYC parks officer, captured on video, leads to investigation
- Fearless Fund blocked from giving grants only to Black women in victory for DEI critics
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- After guilty verdict, Trump will appear on the ballot in the last presidential primaries of 2024
Ranking
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Musk’s X is allowing users to post consensual adult content, formalizing a prior Twitter policy
- Bebe Rexha allegedly has fans removed from concert after throwing objects at stage
- Michigan man driving during viral Zoom court hearing had license suspension lifted in 2022
- Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
- MLB player Tucupita Marcano faces possible lifetime ban for alleged baseball bets, AP source says
- Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings weighs in on Caitlin Clark, cheap shot, WNBA pressure
- MLB investigating Padres' Tucupita Marcano for gambling on games in 2023
Recommendation
Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
Out of a mob movie: Juror in COVID fraud case dismissed after getting bag of $120,000 cash
USWNT's Korbin Albert booed upon entering match vs. South Korea
Cucumbers recalled in 14 states due to salmonella risk
DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
For gay and transgender people, these are the most (and least) welcoming states
The Bachelorette: Meet the 25 Men Competing for Jenn Tran's Final Rose
For gay and transgender people, these are the most (and least) welcoming states