House GOP wants to hear from Hunter Biden prosecutor
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Rep. James Comer. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images.
A top House Republican said he plans to seek information from the U.S. attorney who reached a plea deal with Hunter Biden on Tuesday.
Why it matters: It’s the latest in a growing list of instances of House GOP investigators inserting themselves into criminal investigations.
The latest: After a years-long investigation by the Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss, President Biden's son agreed to plead guilty to tax misdemeanors and a gun felony, Axios' Alex Thompson reported.
- Biden's lawyers said they believe the deal marks the end of the investigation, but Weiss said the investigation is "ongoing."
- Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), the chair of the House Oversight Committee, said the deal has "no impact" on his panel's probe into the Biden family.
Driving the news: Comer told Axios he wants a closed-door briefing or written statement from Weiss on "what he means when he says this is an ongoing investigation."
- Comer said it's an "important" question because Justice Department restricting the amount of information that can be shared about ongoing probes have kept lawmakers from accessing some documents from the FBI and Treasury Department.
- “If he can tell us that via mail or briefing, that would be better,” Comer said. “Preferably for time’s sake he could give us a briefing … I don’t think that’s asking too much.”
What's next: Republicans' next move will depend on what Weiss says in court, said Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
- "I think we have to wait until that," said Jordan. "If there's a plea entered and it's done and then the investigation is over, then certainly we're going to want to talk to him. Or is he referring to some other investigation?"
The backdrop: Weiss sent Jordan a letter earlier this month refusing to turn over documents he requested related to the Hunter Biden tax investigation.
- "The information sought by the Committee concerns an open matter about which the Department is not at liberty to respond," Weiss wrote in his June 7 response, a copy of which was obtained by Axios.
The other side: Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the ranking member of the Oversight Committee, said Republicans are "going off on tangents, on wild goose chases. I mean, it just never seems to end."
- "I feel very satisfied that this was a thorough criminal justice assessment that was conducted by Donald Trump's own appointees ... and it's over," he said. "Everything else is just an effort to distract from the daily news."
- "My colleagues should probably give it a break for a while," he added.
