Prosecutor in the Hunter Biden Case Refutes Retaliation Claims Against IRS Agent Who Spoke to House GOP

The lead federal prosecutor handling the investigation involving Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, has denied allegations that he faced obstacles in pursuing criminal charges in Los Angeles and Washington, and has refuted claims of retaliating against an IRS official who disclosed details about the case.

In a two-page letter addressed to House Republicans on Friday, U.S. Attorney David Weiss, based in Delaware, defended the extensive investigation into Hunter Biden’s financial affairs, which concluded last month with a plea deal with the Justice Department that is expected to spare Biden from incarceration.

Weiss, who was appointed to his position by former President Donald Trump and retained by the Biden administration, stated in his letter that the department did not engage in retaliation against Gary Shapley, an IRS agent who alleged that the prosecutor impeded his promotion after Shapley reached out to congressional investigators regarding the Biden case.

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Shapley is one of two IRS employees who were interviewed by Republicans conducting investigations into various aspects of Hunter Biden’s business dealings.

The House Ways and Means Committee, one of the investigating committees, voted to publicly disclose congressional testimonies from the IRS employees shortly after the plea deal was announced on June 20.

The testimonies provided by Shapley and an unidentified agent outlined what they referred to as a pattern of “delaying investigative steps” and postponing enforcement actions in the months leading up to the 2020 presidential election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden.

It remains uncertain whether the described conflict represents internal disagreement regarding the approach to the investigation or a recurring occurrence of interference and preferential treatment. Long-standing Justice Department policy advises prosecutors to exercise caution when pursuing cases that could have political implications around the time of an election, to prevent influencing the outcome.

Shapley also alleged that Weiss had requested special counsel status from the Justice Department in March 2020 to handle the tax cases outside of Delaware, including in Washington and California, but was denied.

Responding to this claim, the department stated that Weiss possesses “full authority over this matter, including the responsibility to decide where, when, and whether to file charges as he deems appropriate. He does not require further approval to do so.”

In his letter, Weiss stated that the department assured him that if he sought to bring charges in a jurisdiction other than Delaware, he would be granted special status to do so. Typically, U.S. attorneys are restricted to filing criminal charges within their own jurisdictions.

Hunter Biden, 53, reached an agreement with federal prosecutors to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses. The plea deal would also prevent him from being prosecuted for a felony charge of unlawfully possessing a firearm as a drug user, on the condition that Biden complies with the agreed-upon conditions in court. He is scheduled to appear in a Delaware court later this month.

Last week, the leaders of the Republican-controlled House Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, and Ways and Means committees penned a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, requesting that nine officials from the Justice Department and two from the FBI address the claims made by the IRS employees.

Weiss mentioned in his letter to Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, that he would be open to discussing such matters with congressional officials. However, he reiterated that the case is an active criminal investigation, and therefore, there is limited information that he can disclose at this time.

Republicans have directed considerable attention to an unverified tip provided to the FBI, which alleged a bribery scheme involving Joe Biden when he served as vice president. The unconfirmed allegation, which surfaced in 2019, suggested that Biden exerted pressure on Ukraine to remove its top prosecutor in order to halt an investigation into Burisma, an oil-and-gas company where Hunter Biden held a board position.

Meanwhile, Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, referred to the investigations conducted by Republicans across multiple congressional committees as an “obsession.”

“Since gaining the majority in 2023, various leaders of the House and its committees have disregarded established congressional protocols, rules of conduct, and even the law, in what can only be described as an obsession with targeting the Biden family,” Lowell wrote.

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• Prosecutor in the Hunter Biden case denies retaliating against IRS agent who talked to House GOP
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• Debt limit bill gives Republicans IRS cuts, but Democrats say they expect little near-term impact
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• House Ways and Means Committee
• Justice Department
• FBI
• Burisma