Rep. Jamie Raskin, top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, wrote a letter to chairman James Comer demanding the Republican release transcripts from an interview with an FBI agent he says undermines last week’s whistleblower testimony.
Raskin, D-Md., said that in the July 17 interview the FBI agent, who was assigned to the Hunter Biden investigation, ‘discredited House Republicans’ claim of political interference in the prosecution of President Biden’s son by [U.S. attorney David Weiss].’
Raskin said that over the course of the two hour-long interview, which both Democrat and Republican committee staff were present for, the former FBI supervisory agent ‘undermined’ testimony from IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler on July 19.
‘Though it has been nearly two weeks since this interview, you have yet to publicly release the interview transcript, despite my call for you to do so and your claim that you would ‘love’ to release it.’
Oversight Republicans said in a tweet they had sent the transcript to the Democratic staff the day after the interview was transcribed – and would release it publicly as soon as it had been reviewed.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, wrote a letter to chairman James Comer demanding the Republican release transcripts from an interview with an FBI agent he says undermines last week’s whistleblower testimony
‘The transcript is going through the normal review process where the witness reviews it and makes any corrections needed. Once that process has been completed, we will release it.’
Raskin, who has played defense for the Biden family against the committee’s aggressive probes into their business deals, claimed Comer had refused to provide Democratic staff with a copy of the hard drive of Hunter Biden’s laptop they are combing through. He called on the chairman to release all materials related to their investigation.
‘I urge you to stop concealing key evidence and to instead commit to making public all the investigative steps undertaken and all materials gathered as part of this investigation.’
Raskin claimed the whistleblower had testified that during his decade of experience at the Delaware U.S. attorney’s office he had never known David Weiss to allow any political influence in prosecutorial decisions.
The whistleblowers also criticized US Attorney Lesley Wolf for refusing to seek a warrant in October 2020 to search Joe Biden’s guest house in Delaware where Hunter was living and the storage unit where he kept documents.
But the FBI agent reportedly said that it is longstanding DOJ and IRS policy not to seek a warrant for public officials or political candidates when the information needed could be obtained through less ‘intrusive’ means.
Oversight Republicans, led by James Comer, said in a tweet they had sent the transcript to the Democratic staff the day after the interview was transcribed – and would release it publicly as soon as it had been reviewed
The agent told the committee ‘that, in determining whether to seek a warrant, it is not only proper, but indeed DOJ policy, for prosecutors to consider additional factors beyond whether probable cause exists, where the warrant involves the property of a political candidate or an attorney or may raise election year sensitivities,’ according to Raskin.
The agent also testified that the Secret Service had been tipped off about the FBI’s intent to interview Hunter Biden, but that was standard procedure ‘for the safety of the agents seeking to approach a Secret Service protectee.’ The agent confirmed that he was told the Biden transition team would be notified as well.
IRS Supervisory Special Agent Gary Shapley and IRS Criminal Investigator with the International Tax and Financial Crimes Division Joseph Ziegler, who testified publicly to the House Oversight Committee for six hours last Wednesday, said they were told on December 8, 2020, the day they were supposed to interview Hunter Biden, to wait outside of his residence for a call from the younger Biden.
Ziegler said he had never been told to handle an interview this way before. Hunter’s call never came and the agents did not get to interview him.
Both agents claim President Joe Biden’s son Hunter, 52, was treated differently than other taxpayers and the case was handled in a special manner – leading them to feel compelled to come forward.
The whistleblowers explained that the IRS after its investigation of Hunter Biden’s tax affairs recommended he be charged with a felony – but the Department of Justice did not charge him with one.
Ziegler claimed that the total amount of foreign income obtained by the Biden family totaled around $17 million.
The agents said Weiss had wanted to bring charges in the District of Columbia and Southern California last year but was denied by DOJ officials both times.
Weiss said he has ‘never been denied the authority to bring charges in any jurisdiction.’
On Wednesday in a dramatic turn of events Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to a pair of tax crimes and a gun crime. His plea deal imploded when the judge informed him that he would not be shielded from future prosecution – specifically mentioning a potential crime of failing to register as a foreign agent.
