Hunter Biden prosecutor was denied special attorney authority

David Weiss, the Delaware U.S. attorney and now special counsel assigned to investigate Hunter Biden on tax fraud and gun crimes, told House investigators he was denied special attorney authority that he sought from the Justice Department.

The admission was revealed in a closed-door interview with House investigators Wednesday. A transcript of the deposition was reviewed by The Washington Times.

“It was not granted,” Mr. Weiss acknowledged to House investigators, who asked about the special attorney authority. It would have given Mr. Weiss expanded authority in his probe, but not at the level he now has as a special counsel.

Mr. Weiss said he did not view the rejection of his request as an effort to stifle his investigation and said he believed he would be given the authority to proceed with his prosecution of Hunter Biden, “if I chose to do so.”

Mr. Weiss was told by the Justice Department to first seek out partnerships with U.S. attorney offices in the districts where he sought to prosecute Hunter Biden for tax fraud.

Mr. Weiss attempted to do so, but was denied by Matt Graves, the U.S. attorney in D.C. and Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney for the central district of California. Mr. Estrada and Mr. Graves told House investigators that Mr. Weiss could have pursued the prosecution in their districts on his own, without partnering with their offices.

However, Mr. Weiss instead did not pursue prosecuting Hunter Biden in the two districts, allowing the statute of limitations to expire.

Ultimately, the president’s son escaped prosecution for failing to file taxes on more than $1 million in income from Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian gas company that witnesses say hired him to gain access to then-Vice President Joe Biden.

A plea deal over the gun charges and tax fraud fell apart in court in July, and Attorney General Merrick Garland elevated Mr. Weiss to special counsel in August.

In September, Mr. Weiss charged Hunter Biden on three criminal counts related to his purchase of a handgun while addicted to drugs.

Mr. Weiss would not tell House investigators the status of the tax fraud investigation or whether he’ll ever charge the president’s son in the matter.

Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to the gun charges.