U.S. Delaware Attorney David Weiss on Friday confirmed his “limited” authority to charge Hunter Biden in the jurisdictions of Washington, DC, and California.
IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley told Congress the Department of Justice (DOJ) prevented Weiss from bringing charges against Hunter Biden in Washington, DC, and California.
The New York Times independently confirmed Shapley’s statement on Tuesday by reporting the DOJ’s practices demand that Weiss obtain approval and cooperation from the U.S. attorneys in California and Washington, DC, before proceeding with charges in their districts.
“If venue for a case lies elsewhere, common Departmental practice is to contact the United States Attorney’s Office for the district in question and determine whether it wants to partner on the case,” Weiss responded to House Republicans.
If denied by those attorneys, Weiss also said he could ask for special attorney status to charge Hunter Biden. “If not, I may request Special Attorney status from the Attorney General,” Weiss said, without noting whether or not he requested the special status from Attorney General Merrick Garland.
“I have been assured that, if necessary after the above process, I would be granted” that authority in “the District of Columbia, the Central District of California, or any other district where charges could be brought in this matter,” he said.
In contrast, Garland maintains Weiss had full autonomy to bring charges against the president’s son and pointed to a letter Weiss sent to Congress claiming he had full authority over the investigation.
Garland’s claims ignore his statement to Congress in March in which he admitted he would have to authorize any potential charges. “I would then have to authorize it and permit it to be brought in another jurisdiction & that is what I promised I would do,” he said.
According to IRS agent Shapley, Weiss asked Garland for a special counsel, but Garland refused to name one. The special counsel could have provided a degree of separation between President Joe Biden and his DOJ.
