The release of internal government documents by House Republicans has shed new light on the investigation into Hunter Biden and how IRS agents faced obstacles whenever President Joe Biden’s name was mentioned. However, the documents also show that senior Justice Department prosecutors believed there were legitimate reasons for investigators to steer away from the elder Biden. The materials, including emails, reports, transcripts, and handwritten notes, were provided by IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joe Ziegler, who alleged political interference in the Hunter Biden probe. Republicans hope the documents support their impeachment inquiry against President Biden, but Democrats argue that they fail to implicate the president directly.
One of the notable documents released was an email from a deputy for prosecutor David Weiss, who now oversees the Hunter Biden probe, directing colleagues to remove Joe Biden’s name from a draft search warrant. The deputy stated that there was no legal basis to include the president’s name. Republicans argue that these examples support their claim of roadblocks in the investigation, but Democrats contend that the documents are one-sided and cherry-picked. Republicans and the whistleblowers argue that the deputy’s actions were part of a Justice Department effort to protect Joe Biden, but the department denies these allegations.
The released documents also include an internal IRS report where officials complain of obstruction by Weiss’ deputy and her alleged refusal to investigate potential campaign finance violations. The report does not specify the candidate or party involved. The IRS agents state that the deputy did not believe there was enough evidence and urged them to focus on other aspects, such as Hunter Biden’s unpaid taxes. Weiss has indicated that he is considering indicting Hunter Biden on federal tax charges. Chairman Jason Smith called the released material “new and alarming,” while Democrats dismissed it as a distraction from more pressing priorities.