The Department of Justice (DOJ) intervened on behalf of Special Counsel David Weiss to respond to congressional inquiries related to investigations on the Biden family's business dealings, according to emails.
The emails were among the first batch of documents provided to the Heritage Foundation (HF) after it filed a lawsuit against the DOJ. Mike Howell, director of HF's Oversight Project, initiated a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The Biden administration attempted to slow-walk the release of documents in relation to the FOIA request, which led to Howell escalating with a lawsuit.
A court ruled in favor of the Washington, D.C.-based think tank and ordered the DOJ to comply with the request. It gave an Aug. 25 deadline to the Justice Department to produce "all records collected from Weiss and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf" that adhere to the FOIA request.
One email in the tranche of documents involved Weiss asking Shannon Hanson, one of his lead assistant U.S. attorneys, if the DOJ's Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA) responded to a letter sent by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ron Johnson (R-WI). The senators' May 2022 letter addressed to Weiss alone sought information concerning Congress' Hunter Biden probe.
"Not to my knowledge," replied Hanson. She then followed up with a second email noting that Joe Gaeta, then deputy assistant attorney general (AG) in the OLA, was working on their response. The OLA then responded to the senators' letter in June 2022, saying that the Justice Department would not respond to their questions.
In July 2022, Grassley and Johnson sent another letter requesting information related to the Hunter Biden investigation. This correspondence was addressed to Weiss, AG Merrick Garland and Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray. The DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel intervened, telling Weiss in an email that it would "take the lead on drafting a response" to the senators' letter.
Patel: It is standard procedure to rout congressional inquiries to OLA
According to the Federalist, the emails raise questions on whether "Weiss' responses to congressional investigators were under the direction of the DOJ" and if both the special counsel and the DOJ "colluded to mislead Congress."
Meanwhile, Howell said the emails show that while Garland was claiming Weiss had the independence to bring whatever charges he wanted, the AG was "simultaneously running communications" from the special counsel to the two senators. (Related: House Judiciary Committee: David Weiss appointment as special counsel in DOJ's Hunter Biden probe a COVER-UP TACTIC.)
"The only reason these documents are starting to trickle out is because we sued for transparency," he told the Federalist. "We've faced taxpayer-funded resistance at every step of the way and haven’t given up. [Nevertheless,] the DOJ is under a judicial order to continue this production."
The next tranche of documents in relation to HF's FOIA request is due by Oct. 31. Unless the Republican-controlled House of Representatives files a subpoena seeking access to those documents, the American public will have an exclusive first peek at further exchanges between Weiss and the Justice Department.
Former Trump administration staffer and attorney Kash Patel put in his two cents on the issue. He told Breitbart: "It is standard procedure for congressional inquiries to be routed through the [DOJ's] legislative affairs shop. What is not standard is for the DOJ to create 'conspiratorial schemes concocted to subvert valid constitutional oversight and stonewall documentation production.'"
"It also shows how Republicans allow themselves to be dominated by DOJ's criminal conduct by flailing about with another strongly worded letter. Impeach them for breaking the law, or stop complaining when you get punched in the face," continued Patel, who penned the children's book "The Plot Against The King."
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Watch Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY) explaining why the appointment of David Weiss as special counsel "demonstrates a level of desperation" below.
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