Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday denied that the Justice Department, FBI, and IRS interfered with U.S. Attorney of Delaware David Weiss' investigation of Hunter Biden.
Members of the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday released redacted transcripts of whistleblower testimony from two IRS employees who, after working on Biden's tax evasion case, reported misconduct and government abuse from the agency and the FBI.
"As I said at the outset, Mr. Weiss, who was appointed by President [Donald] Trump as the U.S. attorney in Delaware and assigned this matter during the previous administration, would be permitted to continue his investigation and to make a decision to prosecute any way in which he wanted to, and in any district in which he wanted to,” Garland said during a press conference on Friday.
"Mr. Weiss has since sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee confirming that he had that authority. I don't know how it would be possible for anybody to block him from bringing a prosecution, given that he has this authority."
Garland added, "[Weiss] was given complete authority to make all decisions on his own behalf."
The House committee also reported that Weiss had requested special counsel status from the DOJ in the spring of 2022, but was denied. Garland again denied that report.
"The only person with authority to make somebody a special counsel or refuse to make somebody a special counsel is the attorney general. Mr. Weiss never made that request to me," Garland said.
When asked why he did not consider naming a special counsel, Garland said, "Mr. Weiss had, in fact, had more authority than a special counsel would [have] had."
While in Sweden earlier this week, Garland shifted all responsibility for Hunter Biden’s plea deal to Weiss.
"As I said from the moment of my appointment as attorney general, I would leave this matter in the hands of the United States attorney who was appointed by the previous president, and assigned to this matter by the previous administration, that he would be given full authority to decide the matter as he decided was appropriate," Garland said at a news conference earlier this week. "And that's what he's done.
"If you have any further questions about that matter, you should direct them to the U.S. attorney to explain his decision."
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