Main Topic: Appointment of U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel in the ongoing probe of Hunter Biden
Key Points:
1. U.S. Attorney David Weiss appointed as special counsel in the investigation of Hunter Biden and any related matters.
2. Weiss was already overseeing the Hunter Biden probe and requested to be appointed special counsel.
3. Plea negotiations with Hunter Biden's team on tax charges have fallen apart, and the case is now expected to go to trial.
Main Topic: Republicans criticize the appointment of U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel in the investigation into Hunter Biden.
Key Points:
1. Republicans accuse Weiss of signing a "sweetheart deal" with Hunter Biden and question his trustworthiness as special counsel.
2. Republicans suggest that Weiss was appointed to inhibit congressional investigations into the Bidens and to avoid testifying before Congress.
3. Republicans vow to continue their own investigations into the Biden family's alleged corruption and insist that Weiss must still testify before Congress.
Emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit reveal that false information about the origins of evidence implicating Hunter and Joe Biden in a bribery scandal was fed to Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss by the FBI and then leaked to The New York Times.
Special Counsel David Weiss assures a Delaware federal court that an indictment against Hunter Biden will be forthcoming by the end of the month, following the collapse of a plea agreement and concerns over a pretrial diversion agreement.
Emails obtained by the Heritage Foundation reveal a lack of documentation supporting Attorney General Merrick Garland's claim that he gave U.S. Attorney David Weiss authority over the Hunter Biden investigation, raising questions about misleading Congress in his testimony.
Potential tax charges against Hunter Biden faced obstacles when federal prosecutors in California and Washington, D.C. declined to assist U.S. Attorney David Weiss in charging him, leading to frustration and concerns about the investigation's future, according to testimony from an IRS law enforcement official obtained by POLITICO.
IRS officials Michael Batdorf and Darrell Waldon testified before the House Ways and Means Committee, contradicting Attorney General Merrick Garland's claim that Special Counsel David Weiss had "full authority" over whether to charge Hunter Biden with tax crimes, revealing that the Justice Department's Tax Division would also need to authorize charges.
The House Judiciary Committee is preparing to hear testimony from special counsel David Weiss and interview other Justice Department officials related to their investigation into Hunter Biden, with the goal of shedding light on claims that the Delaware US Attorney's office could have brought charges against the first son.
Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss sought special attorney authority to charge Hunter Biden in D.C., but his actions and testimony from D.C. U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves suggest that Weiss did not actually need this authority, leading to questions about why he pursued it and why he did not pursue charges in D.C.
The second U.S. Attorney overseeing the Hunter Biden investigation testifies that Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss had full authority over filing charges, countering whistleblower claims that Weiss was blocked from bringing tax charges against Hunter Biden.
The U.S. Attorney for Central California testified that the prosecutor leading the investigation into Hunter Biden had full authority to pursue criminal tax charges, contradicting claims made by an IRS whistleblower, while FBI officials assigned to the investigation did not recall the prosecutor saying he lacked authority; however, the California attorney declined to partner with the prosecutor's office in the prosecution.
