Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) subpoenaed a federal prosecutor who allegedly placed constraints on the years-long investigation into Hunter Biden, House Republicans announced on Tuesday.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf of Delaware was directed to appear for a deposition on December 7 as part of the House GOP’s review of how the Department of Justice (DOJ) has conducted its criminal probe into Hunter Biden as well as the corruption-focused impeachment inquiry against his father, President Joe Biden.
Jordan explained in a letter to Wolf the various ways in which information obtained by the judiciary panel indicates she was “responsible for many of the decisions to deviate from standard investigative protocol during the Department’s investigation of Hunter Biden.”
These included claims that Wolf, either directly or by instructing others, blocked certain lines of inquiry about Joe Biden and tipped off Hunter Biden’s legal team about a planned search of a storage unit.
In addition, testimony from Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblower Gary Shapley alleged that Wolf “obstructed” another U.S. attorney’s team in Pennsylvania from briefing Delaware U.S. Attorney Davis Weiss’ office about bribery allegations concerning Joe and Hunter Biden, the letter said.
The Daily Wire reached out to the DOJ seeking comment on the subpoena. Previously, the agency has raised concerns to Jordan about “misrepresentations” that could impede public confidence in the administration of justice.
Jordan said the DOJ has allowed other employees to testify, “albeit with substantial scoping limitations,” but noted that Wolf is an exception because of “unpersuasive” arguments that the agency has an “ongoing investigation” as well as a “longstanding policy” of not making non-Senate-confirmed and line-level DOJ employees available for interviews.
After a plea deal with Hunter Biden collapsed under scrutiny from a judge, Attorney General Merrick Garland granted Weiss special counsel status in August of this year, giving Weiss broader authority to bring charges outside of his own district.
A federal grand jury in Delaware indicted Hunter Biden on federal gun charges in September, after which he pleaded not guilty. The first son may also face an indictment on tax evasion charges, which were part of the plea agreement.
Weiss testified in a deposition before the House Judiciary Committee earlier this month, after which Jordan indicated “the key takeaway” was that the prosecutor requested but did not receive special attorney powers that would have allowed him to bring charges outside of his jurisdiction in Delaware last year without the partnership of the local U.S. attorney.
That would appear to affirm concerns, spurred by whistleblower testimony from Shapley and another IRS agent who also worked on the Hunter Biden case, that the DOJ slow-walked the inquiry in a way that may have precluded other serious charges due to the statute of limitations.
In response to an inquiry by The Daily Wire, the DOJ shared a statement from Weiss to the House Judiciary Committee in which he said “processes” associated with investigative and charging decisions did not “interfere” with his authority.
“At no time was I blocked, or otherwise prevented from pursuing charges or taking the steps necessary in the investigation by other United States Attorneys, the Tax Division or anyone else at the Department of Justice,” he testified.
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