David C. Weiss, the federal prosecutor in Delaware leading the criminal investigation of Hunter Biden, has responded to testimony from an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) official, Gary Shapley, contradicting Shapley’s claim that Weiss complained about being blocked from pursuing the case as he desired. In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Weiss clarified that he never requested special counsel status from the Justice Department and that Shapley may have misunderstood him during a meeting in October 2022.
Weiss explained that he had discussions with departmental officials about the possibility of being appointed as a special attorney, which would have allowed him to file charges against Biden in jurisdictions outside Delaware. However, this designation is less significant within the Justice Department compared to a special counsel, which would have provided greater leeway and independence.
In his letter to Senator Lindsey Graham, Weiss emphasized that he had never been denied the authority to bring charges in any jurisdiction. He sought to defend the integrity of the ongoing five-year investigation, which recently resulted in a plea deal where Hunter Biden will plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges, avoiding prosecution on a separate gun charge. Despite Republican criticism of the deal as a “sweetheart deal” and allegations of political interference, Weiss affirmed that he had full authority in the case.
Weiss did not confirm whether he followed through with the request to be appointed as a special attorney, nor did he directly address Shapley’s assertion that Biden-appointed U.S. attorneys in California and Washington prevented Weiss from prosecuting Hunter Biden on felony tax charges related to his work with foreign-controlled businesses and investors.
The Hunter Biden investigation was initiated by the Trump Justice Department in 2018 and later given to Weiss, a Republican who received support from Delaware’s Democratic senators during his confirmation. Weiss remained in charge of the inquiry after President Biden’s election to avoid any perception of political interference.
Shapley testified before the House Ways and Means Committee, claiming that Weiss had sought special counsel status but was turned down by local prosecutors. Shapley also recounted his arguments to aggressively pursue charges against Hunter Biden for tax offenses in 2014 and 2015. Weiss had reached out to prosecutors in Washington and California but was rebuffed. Another former IRS official corroborated this account, and Shapley alleged that his criticism of the Justice Department led to him being denied a promotion.
Weiss firmly denied retaliating against Shapley in a letter to Representative Jim Jordan and maintained that he did not criticize Shapley to his superiors.
In conclusion, Weiss refuted Shapley’s testimony and clarified his position regarding the pursuit of the Hunter Biden case. He sought to address any misperceptions and prevent confusion while defending the integrity of the investigation and his authority as the federal prosecutor in Delaware.
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