Members of several congressional committees announced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the failed plea deal for President Joe Biden’s son Hunter related to tax and firearms charges last week.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R), House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) penned a joint letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting information regarding the failed agreement.
The younger Biden is being prosecuted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) via U.S. Attorney David Weiss. Testimony from IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley indicated that Weiss may have been blocked from filing charges against Hunter Biden by two other DOJ officials.
“Given recent unusual events relating to the Department’s plea and pretrial diversion agreements with Mr. Biden, we write to better understand the Department’s decision to sign off on such apparently atypical agreements,” the letter reads.
The committee chairmen cite the statement by presiding District Judge Maryellen Moreika that the proposed diversion agreement was “not standard” and “different from what I normally see.” Hunter Biden’s attorneys requested that their client be immune from potential future charges as part of the plea deal.
The proposed plea agreement would have seen the president’s son plead guilty to a number of misdemeanor charges, which would have likely resulted in no prison time.
“Taken individually, each of the provisions discussed above raises serious concerns about how the Department has handled this matter,” the representatives wrote. The committee heads said that when the circumstances regarding the failed agreement were put together, “the provisions appear to be even more troubling.”
🚨 #BREAKING: @Jim_Jordan, @RepJamesComer, @RepJasonSmith Launch Inquiry into Sweetheart Hunter Biden Plea Deal.
Full letter: https://t.co/VRvS037afx pic.twitter.com/5HQ2waifFP
— House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) July 31, 2023
Jordan, Comer and Smith included a number of questions in their letter, asking about whether or not the Delaware U.S. Attorney’s office or other DOJ offices used similar agreements in the previous decade. The letter also asks about whether or not the decisions regarding the potential plea deal originated with Weiss.
Lastly, the Republicans requested a number of documents, including a “generalized description of the nature of the Department’s ongoing investigation(s) concerning Hunter Biden.”
