Special Counsel David Weiss told the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that he was not “prevented from prosecuting” or “preventing the pursuit” of Hunter Biden in his long-running investigation, but said he was not “precluded from pursuing” his decision-making. argued that “political considerations played no role.”
Weiss voluntarily and “unprecedented” before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday morning to address “misunderstandings about the scope” of her “power to decide where, when, and whether to file charges.” Appeared in court for a transcribed interview.
In a statement after hours of testimony, Weiss said that to his knowledge, he was “the first special prosecutor to testify prior to the filing of the special counsel’s report.”
US Attorney David Charles Weiss (Ministry of Justice)
“I have taken this step out of respect for the committee’s oversight responsibilities and to answer questions raised about the scope of my authority,” Weiss said in a statement.
Justice Department tax official says Weiss needed departmental approval before filing charges against Hunter Biden: Record
Weiss emphasized that “the investigation and prosecution are ongoing,” adding, “There is only so much I can say at this time.” But Weiss said he will produce a report at the end of his work and “will have more information to share at that time.”
![Special Counsel David Weiss](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/07/1200/675/Video-29.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware; (Screenshot from Fox News)
“I was prepared to address any misunderstandings about the extent of my authority to decide when and where to bring charges in this matter,” Weiss said in a transcript of the interview.
But Weiss vowed not to answer questions that “could jeopardize ongoing litigation, our investigations, or the rights of defendants or other individuals involved in these matters.”
“I am and will continue to be the decision maker in this case,” Weiss said. “However, I do not make these decisions in a vacuum. I am bound by federal law, federal prosecutorial principles, and Department of Justice guidelines.”
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Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, exits the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Delaware, U.S., July 26, 2023. (Photo credit: Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency, Getty Images)
As such, Weiss emphasized, “There is a process that must be followed when making investigation and prosecution decisions.”
“These processes did not interfere with my decision-making authority,” Weiss said. “At no time have I been impeded or prevented by other United States attorneys, the Tax Division, or anyone else in the Department of Justice from pursuing charges or taking any necessary steps to investigate. ”
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Weiss also emphasized that he did not request the position of special prosecutor until August 2023.
“When I made that request, it was immediately granted,” Weiss said.
The whistleblowers had alleged that Weiss had previously applied to become special counsel but was denied. Attorney General Merrick Garland in August appointed Weiss as special counsel with jurisdiction over the Biden investigation and other matters that have arisen or may arise in connection with the investigation.
Weiss has led the investigation into Biden since 2018.
![U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/08/1200/675/MERRICK-GARLAND.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Attorney General Merrick Garland (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“Throughout this investigation, the career prosecutors on my team and I made decisions based on the facts and the law,” Weiss said. “Political considerations had no influence on our decision-making.”
Weiss said his team’s analysis was “based on the principles of federal prosecution, and my team and I will continue to adhere to those same principles and strive to bring this matter to a fair conclusion.”
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Weiss’ interview comes after a number of current and former Justice Department officials involved in the Hunter Biden investigation have volunteered to testify about the matter privately before the committee, which is led by Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). It was done after.
IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler argued that politics influenced prosecutors’ decisions throughout the investigation, including decisions about search warrants and the line of questioning during interrogations of specific individuals. Mr. Shapley also argued that Mr. Weiss did not have “ultimate authority” to move forward with charges against the president’s son, instead requiring approval from the chief judge in Washington. This was confirmed by Justice Department officials in voluntary recorded interviews with the committee.
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IRS Special Agent Gary Shapley (left) and IRS Criminal Agent Joseph Ziegler were sworn in after testifying at a House Oversight Committee hearing related to the Justice Department’s Hunter Biden investigation. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Acting Assistant Attorney General Stuart Goldberg of the Department of Justice’s Tax Division participated in the preliminary interview transcription. House of Representatives Judiciary Last month’s committee. Fox News Digital reviewed a copy of Goldberg’s interview in which Weiss said he needed approval from his department at the Justice Department before filing charges in the Hunter Biden investigation. But Goldberg said he could appeal his department’s decision if prosecutors disagree.
Shapley also claimed that Weiss was considering prosecuting Hunter Biden in California, but said the U.S. attorney in California had chosen not to work with Weiss on the prosecution. Ta. No charges were filed.
Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, told the House Judiciary Committee in a transcript of an interview last month that, in fact, he refused to work with Weiss in prosecuting Hunter Biden in his own district. . However, Mr. Estrada provided Mr. Weiss with “administrative support.”
IRS officials said they were frustrated that the Justice Department did not file charges against Hunter Biden in the 2014 and 2015 tax years.
In his first act as special counsel, Weiss accused Biden of making false statements regarding firearm purchases. He makes false statements regarding information that federal firearms licensees are required to maintain. He faces one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful user or addict of a controlled substance.
![Congressman Jim Jordan](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/10/1200/675/AP23286052379973-e1697476535254.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
On Thursday, October 12, 2023, Representative Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, leaves a Republican caucus meeting at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
The president’s son pleaded not guilty to all charges last month.
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Weiss’ interview came amid House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into President Biden. The impeachment inquiry is being led by Jordan, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Missouri).