FBI told Hunter Biden investigator to avoid Congressional questions in latest bombshell about efforts to shield First Son investigation from public eye
An FBI attorney told an agent investigating Hunter Biden not to answer questions from the House Oversight Committee as more news leaked about the criminal investigation into the First Son.
The commission is investigating whether the agents investigating Biden’s tax affairs and drug use under a gun license gave the 53-year-old preferential treatment.
FBI attorney Jason Jones sent a letter to the agent — whose name has been redacted — just hours before they were due to testify before the commission on Sunday, directing them to dodge questions about “ongoing investigative activity.”
“The Department expects you to decline to respond to inquiries about nonpublic information likely to be covered by one or more components of executive privilege or other important confidentiality interests, particularly information regarding deliberations or ongoing investigative activities in law enforcement matters,” he wrote. .
He told the agent to “put such questions to the FBI’s Office of Congressional Affairs instead.”
An FBI attorney told an agent investigating Hunter Biden to avoid questions from the House Oversight Committee as news continues to leak about the First Son investigation
FBI attorney Jason Jones sent a letter to the agent — whose name has been redacted — on Sunday just hours before they were due to testify before the commission
It comes after ttwo IRS whistleblowers — one anonymous, the other named Gary Shapley — said in recent days that Hunter Biden was treated more leniently than ordinary Americans.
Jones said deferring answers “would give the Department full opportunity to consider certain questions and possible adjustments that may meet the committee’s legitimate need for information while protecting the executive’s confidentiality interests.”
The FBI attorney described the investigation as “ongoing” and confirmed that Biden’s legal team had been given advance notice of a December 2020 interview.
He added that Congress wanted him to answer and defer “specifically” to those allegations.
“Department officials, including those who have left the department, have a duty to protect nonpublic information they learn on the job,” Jones continued. “Such information may be subject to various privileges, including law enforcement, deliberative processes, attorney work products and attorney-client privileges, and privacy interests.”
“These are called letters of authorization and are standard practice,” an FBI spokesperson said in a statement.
On Monday, the commission said in a lengthy tweet that an FBI agent working on the case agreed with Shapley that Hunter received favorable treatment.
“The agent’s testimony is sickening and reveals just how far the DOJ is willing to go to cover up the Bidens,” the commission tweeted.
The special agent, who worked in the FBI’s Wilmington field office, told committee officials in a transcribed interview Monday that the Biden transition team had been tipped off the night before the scheduled interview with Hunter Biden.
The commission is investigating whether agents digging into Biden’s tax affairs and his lies about gun-licensing drug use gave the 53-year-old preferential treatment
Jones told the agent to “instead refer such inquiries to the FBI’s Office of Congressional Affairs”
Hunter Biden, seen July 4, is under investigation for his tax affairs and a gun license, in which he claimed he was not taking drugs
“This was not the career agents’ original plan, which frustrated their investigative efforts because people found out who didn’t need to know,” the commission said.
Democrats were quick to dismiss the agent’s claim, saying it was common for the FBI and DOJ to disagree on how to proceed with an investigation.
Shapley and his colleague said that in the months leading up to the 2020 election, won by Joe Biden, there was a pattern of “slow-moving investigative steps” and enforcement actions delayed.
It’s unclear whether the conflict they describe boils down to internal disagreement over how to proceed with the investigation or a pattern of interference and preferential treatment.
The Department’s policy has long warned prosecutors to be careful about bringing cases with possible political overtones around election time to avoid influencing the outcome.
Shapley will testify before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday.
Shapley has already told the House Ways and Means Committee that U.S. attorney David Weiss, who has overseen the years-long Hunter Biden investigation, said he won’t make the final decision on charges.
Weiss also said he was denied the power of special counsel, according to Shapley.
But Weiss denied Shapley’s claims, saying he had a free hand to do whatever he wanted, and never sought special counsel powers.
Gary Shapley has claimed that Hunter Biden received preferential treatment from the Justice Department when they investigated him for tax fraud and gun licensing offenses
James Comer, a Republican representative for Kentucky, chairs the House Oversight Committee
The House Oversight Committee, led by James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, said the FBI agent’s testimony was shocking.
They said the Biden transition team had been warned in advance that Hunter Biden was about to be interviewed about his tax affairs and the gun charges, and Hunter subsequently refused to speak to them.
He was charged with possession of a handgun, a Colt Cobra .38 Special, for 11 days in October 2018, despite knowing he was a drug user.
Hunter agreed to a plea deal on both separate charges last month and will appear in court at the end of this month.
“Today our committee staff conducted a transcribed interview with a former FBI supervisory special agent assigned to the FBI’s Wilmington office and Biden’s criminal investigation,” the committee tweeted.
The agent CONFIRMED key parts of the IRS whistleblower testimony, including that both Secret Service headquarters and the Biden transition team had been TIPED about the scheduled Hunter Biden interview.
In fact, on the day of the Hunter Biden interview, FEDERAL AGENTS were told to watch and NOT approach HUNTER BIDEN – they were to wait for his call. As a result of the changed plans, IRS and FBI detectives were never allowed to interview Hunter Biden as part of the investigation.
The former FBI supervising special agent told commission investigators he was never told to wait outside for the subject of an investigation to contact him.
The agent’s testimony is sickening and reveals just how far the DOJ is willing to go to cover up the Bidens. The Oversight Committee will continue to work with the @JudiciaryGOP and @WaysandMeansGOP to provide the answers, transparency and accountability that the American people demand and deserve.”
Joe Biden is seen with his son Hunter on June 24. The president has always said he is proud of him when asked about Hunter
A Democratic source told DailyMail.com that the FBI agent’s complaint was not surprising or revealing, as FBI agents often disagreed with DOJ decisions.
“Based on ten years of experience with the Delaware US Attorney’s Office, the FBI agent has never known the Assistant US Attorneys in the office or US Attorney Weiss to allow political considerations to influence their prosecution decisions in any way,” the source said. .
The FBI agent recognized that it is routine for FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors to disagree on investigative steps and indictment decisions, and he witnessed it frequently in his 20-year career.
The FBI agent said it is appropriate for prosecutors to consider when determining whether to request a warrant, in addition to whether there is probable cause in executing certain search warrants involving political figures, attorneys, or raising criminal charges. election year sensitivities, per DOJ policy, to consider additional considerations.”
When asked about his son, Joe Biden repeatedly replies that he is proud of him and his efforts to kick his drug addiction.