On July 31, after Hunter Biden's plea deal had fallen apart, House chairmen sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland revealing that they were launching an inquiry into the deal and made several asks of him, of which he was expected to respond to by August 14. The DOJ has responded back to the chairmen in question, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY), and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO). There isn't much to the response, though, as obtained by Fox News, which comes from Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte.
House Committee Chairmen Open an Inquiry Into Hunter Biden Plea Deal https://t.co/ROZHpWtDXZ
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 1, 2023
The Monday response to Jordan is described as "an initial response" with Uriarte also writing that they "are writing to share that the Department is actively working to identify and evaluate what information may exist and be available. We commit to supplementing this response."
However, the letter also suggests that the Department of Justice (DOJ) may not be willing to provide too much, given that the chairmen are asking about "an ongoing investigation and prosecution."
"Your letter also seeks information about an ongoing investigation and prosecution, including ongoing negotiations with defense counsel, previously led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware and now assigned to the Office of Special Counsel," the letter goes on to read, referring to how U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who had been investigating Hunter Biden, was designated as Special Counsel last Friday by Garland.
TODAY: AG Merrick Garland appoints David Weiss as special counsel in Hunter Biden investigation
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 11, 2023
JUNE: IRS Whistleblower Shapley testifies that he personally witnessed David Weiss claim that "he was not the deciding person in whether charges were filed" against Hunter Biden pic.twitter.com/gZcaNkPAbS
BREAKING: A Special Counsel Has Been Appointed to Investigate Hunter Biden https://t.co/MDUnNTV0O1
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 11, 2023
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"As the Department noted in its July responses to your earlier inquiries about this matter, it is longstanding Department policy to protect the confidentiality of nonpublic information about our law enforcement work," the letter reads, citing letters from July 13 and July 24 from Uriarte to Jordan.
It was that July 24 letter that revealed Weiss will be going before the House Judiciary Committee in September or October.
It Looks Like U.S. Attorney David Weiss Is Going Before the Judiciary Committee https://t.co/Mzo6PiAswU
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 25, 2023
"The Department’s mission to independently and impartially uphold the rule of law requires us to maintain the integrity of our investigations and prosecutions and to avoid even a perception that our efforts are influenced by anything other than the law and the facts. These and related concerns are heightened when a matter is ongoing, and our duty to ensure the integrity of an investigation applies regardless of whether it is led by a United States Attorney or Special Counsel," the brief letter reads towards its closing.
Given how weaponized and politicized the DOJ has been under Biden, such a letter and those specific points about how they look "to avoid even a perception that our efforts are influenced by anything other than the law and the facts" is hardly comforting.
Hunter Biden's plea deal fell apart mere days before the July 31 letter was sent out. Hunter had been given a sweetheart plea deal, which Weiss had signed off on, that would have allowed him to avoid jail time for not only tax and gun charges, but could have also given him immunity from prosecution for future crimes.
As is laid out thoroughly in the letter mentioned from the chairmen mentioned above, Judge Maryellen Noreika, who handled the case, expressed grave concern about the unprecedented nature of the plea deal, as well as if she even had authority. Thus, it fell apart.
The drama continues on for Hunter Biden's legal case, with longtime attorney Chris Clark leaving the tax case and with the legal team bickering with Weiss over whether he "reneged" on the plea deal.
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