Hunter Biden investigation: Attorney General refutes whistleblower allegations of interference

Attorney General Merrick Garland has denied claims made by IRS whistleblowers that the Justice Department interfered with the investigation into Hunter Biden. The Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee released a transcript of Gary Shapley’s testimony, an IRS official who claimed that Garland had denied a request from U.S. Attorney David Weiss of Delaware to be appointed special counsel. Weiss never made such a request, Garland said Friday, and always had full authority to file charges wherever and however he saw fit against President Joe Biden’s son.

Garland pushed back against Republicans’ criticism that a plea agreement for the President’s son on tax and gun charges made public this week reflects political influence in the American justice system. Republicans have denounced the deal as evidence of a “two-tiered system of justice.” In a separate statement, Biden’s lawyer denounced the idea that the investigation cut any corners, and said it would be “dangerously misleading” to make conclusions based on the Shapley transcript.

The testimony from IRS agent Shapley and a second unnamed agent who worked on the case detailed what they called a pattern of “slow-walking investigative steps” and delaying enforcement actions in the Hunter Biden case. However, it was unclear whether the conflict they described amounted to internal disagreement or a pattern of preferential treatment. A representative for Shapley called on Weiss and the Justice Department to explain the discrepancy.

The Hunter Biden plea deal came days after the special counsel on the Trump case filed a historic 37-count indictment alleging mishandling of classified documents, which the former President has denied. Trump has likened the Hunter Biden agreement to a “mere traffic ticket.”

Garland added that attacks on the department’s independence are corrosive. “Some have chosen to attack the integrity of the Justice Department… by claiming we do not treat like cases alike. This constitutes an attack on an institution that is essential to American democracy and essential to the safety of the American people,” Garland said. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Weiss’ office referred request for comment about the whistleblower testimony to a June 7 letter he wrote to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan saying he had “ultimate authority” over the investigation. Biden’s attorney, for his part, said claims the investigation wasn’t thorough are “preposterous and deeply irresponsible.”

Joe Biden has said he’s never spoken to his son about his foreign business. Asked Friday if the President stands by those comments, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre replied: “What I will say is nothing has changed. Nothing has changed, and I will leave it there.”

Original Story at apnews.com – 2023-06-24 05:43:32