Special Counsel Weiss tells lawmakers politics ‘played no part’ in Hunter Biden probe

Posted on November 7, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Special Counsel David Weiss told the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday that he was not "blocked" or "prevented from pursuing charges" against Hunter Biden in his years-long probe, while maintaining that "political considerations played no part" in his decision-making.

Weiss appeared for a voluntary and "unprecedented" transcribed interview before the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday morning in an effort to address "misunderstandings about the scope" of his "authority to decide where, when, and whether to bring charges."

In a statement after his hours-long testimony, Weiss said to the best of his knowledge, he is "the first Special Counsel to testify before the submission of the Special Counsel report."

"I have done so out of respect for the committee’s oversight responsibilities and to respond to questions raised about the scope of my authority," Weiss said.

DOJ TAX OFFICIAL SAYS WEISS NEEDED APPROVAL FROM HIS DIVISION BEFORE BRINGING HUNTER BIDEN CHARGES: TRANSCRIPT

Weiss stressed that he is "in the midst of conducting an ongoing investigation and prosecution," and said he was "limited as to what I can say at this point." Weiss did, though, say that at the conclusion of his work, he will prepare a report and "will be able to share more information at that time."

Weiss said that during his transcribed interview, he was "prepared to address misunderstandings about the scope of my authority to decide where, when, and whether to bring charges in this matter."

Weiss vowed, however, not to answer questions "that could jeopardize the ongoing litigation, our investigations, or the rights of defendants or other individuals involved in these matters."

"I am, and have been, the decision-maker on this case," Weiss said. "I do not, however, make these decisions in a vacuum. I am bound by federal law, the principles of federal prosecution and DOJ guidelines."

Weiss stressed that, as a result, "there are processes that I must adhere to in making investigative and charging decisions."

"These processes did not interfere with my decision-making authority," Weiss said. "At no time was I blocked, or otherwise prevented from pursuing charges or taking the steps necessary in the investigation by other United States Attorneys, the Tax Division or anyone else at the Department of Justice."

HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATORS LIMITED QUESTIONS ABOUT 'DAD,' 'BIG GUY' DESPITE FBI, IRS OBJECTIONS: WHISTLEBLOWER

Weiss also stressed that he "did not request Special Counsel status until August 2023."

"When I made that request, it was promptly granted," Weiss said.

Whistleblowers had alleged Weiss previously requested special counsel status and was denied. Attorney General Merrick Garland tapped Weiss in August to serve as special counsel with jurisdiction over the Biden investigation and any other issues that have come up, or may come up, related to that probe.

Weiss has been leading the Biden investigation since 2018.

"Throughout this investigation, the career prosecutors on my team and I have made decisions based on the facts and the law," Weiss said. "Political considerations played no part in our decision-making."

Weiss said his team’s "analysis has been moored to the principles of federal prosecution, and going forward, my team and I will continue to abide by the same principles as we try to bring this matter to a just conclusion."

HUNTER BIDEN PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO FEDERAL GUN CHARGES OUT OF SPECIAL COUNSEL DAVID WEISS' PROBE

Weiss' interview comes after a number of current and former Justice Department officials related to the Hunter Biden probe have testified voluntarily on the matter behind closed-doors at the committee, led by Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler alleged that politics impacted prosecutorial decisions throughout the probe with regard to search warrants, decisions regarding lines of questioning during interviews of specific individuals, and more. Shapley also alleged that Weiss did not have "ultimate authority" to pursue charges against the president's son, and instead needed approval from Justice in Washington – something DOJ officials have confirmed in their voluntary transcribed interviews before the committee.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ Tax Division Stuart Goldberg participated in a transcribed interview before the House Judiciary Committee last month. Fox News Digital reviewed a copy of the transcript of Goldberg's interview, in which he said Weiss needed approval from his unit at the Justice Department before bringing charges in the Hunter Biden probe. Goldberg did say, however, that a prosecutor could appeal his division's decision if they disagreed.

Shapley also alleged that Weiss was considering bringing charges against Hunter Biden in California but said the U.S. attorney there chose not to partner with him for prosecution. The charges were never filed.

Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, told the House Judiciary Committee during his transcribed interview last month that he did, in fact, decline to partner with Weiss in bringing charges against Hunter Biden in his district. Estrada, though, did offer Weiss "administrative support."

IRS OFFICIAL SAYS HE WAS FRUSTRATED DOJ DID NOT BRING CHARGES AGAINST HUNTER BIDEN FOR 2014, 2015 TAX YEARS

In his first move as special counsel, Weiss charged Biden with making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm; making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federal firearms licensed dealer; and one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

The president's son pleaded not guilty to all charges last month.

Weiss' interview comes amid House Republicans' impeachment inquiry against President Biden. The impeachment inquiry is being led by Jordan, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo.

House Judiciary investigators to question Special Counsel David Weiss on Hunter Biden probe

Posted on November 7, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Judiciary Committee investigators are set to question Special Counsel David Weiss Tuesday morning amid whistleblower allegations that politics influenced or hampered prosecutorial decisions in his years-long investigation into Hunter Biden.

Weiss, who has been leading the investigation into the president’s son since 2018, back when he served as U.S. attorney for the District of Delaware, will voluntarily testify behind closed doors at the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday morning at 10:00 a.m.

His interview comes after a number of current and former Justice Department officials related to the Hunter Biden probe have testified behind closed-doors at the committee, led by Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, on the matter.

US ATTORNEY FOR CALIFORNIA SAYS HE DECLINED TO PARTNER WITH WEISS ON HUNTER BIDEN CHARGES IN HIS DISTRICT

IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler alleged that politics impacted prosecutorial decisions throughout the probe with regard to search warrants, decisions regarding lines of questioning during interviews of specific individuals, and more. Shapley also alleged that Weiss did not have "ultimate authority" to pursue charges against the president's son, and instead needed approval from Main Justice in Washington--something DOJ officials have confirmed in their voluntary transcribed interviews before the committee.

DOJ TAX OFFICIAL SAYS WEISS NEEDED APPROVAL FROM HIS DIVISION BEFORE BRINGING HUNTER BIDEN CHARGES: TRANSCRIPT

HUNTER BIDEN PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO FEDERAL GUN CHARGES OUT OF SPECIAL COUNSEL DAVID WEISS' PROBE

Attorney General Merrick Garland tapped Weiss in August to serve as special counsel with jurisdiction over the Biden investigation and any other issues that have come up, or may come up, related to that probe.

Weiss has been leading the Biden investigation since 2018.

IRS OFFICIAL SAYS HE WAS FRUSTRATED DOJ DID NOT BRING CHARGES AGAINST HUNTER BIDEN FOR 2014, 2015 TAX YEARS

The president's son pleaded not guilty to all charges last month.

HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATORS LIMITED QUESTIONS ABOUT 'DAD,' 'BIG GUY' DESPITE FBI, IRS OBJECTIONS: WHISTLEBLOWER

Weiss has said the investigation into the president's son is ongoing.

"Special Counsel Weiss is appearing voluntarily to testify before the House Judiciary Committee about the scope of his authority," Weiss spokesman Wyn Hornbuckle told Fox News. "Mr. Weiss is prepared to take this unprecedented step of testifying before the conclusion of his investigation to make clear that he’s had and continues to have full authority over his investigation and to bring charges in any jurisdiction."

"Consistent with department policy and the law, he will be unable to address the specifics of his investigation," Hornbuckle said. "At the close of this matter, Special Counsel Weiss will prepare a report, which the Attorney General has committed to making public to the greatest extent possible, consistent with the law, department policy and the public interest."

Special Counsel David Weiss prepared for ‘unprecedented’ testimony at House Judiciary on Hunter Biden probe

Posted on November 6, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Special Counsel David Weiss will take part in an "unprecedented" transcribed interview before the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday morning, when he will answer questions about his yearslong investigation into Hunter Biden, the Justice Department said.

Weiss, who is leading the investigation into the president’s son, will voluntarily testify behind closed doors at the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday morning at 10:00 a.m.

HUNTER BIDEN PROSECUTOR DAVID WEISS TO APPEAR FOR CLOSED-DOOR HOUSE JUDICIARY INTERVIEW

HUNTER BIDEN PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO FEDERAL GUN CHARGES OUT OF SPECIAL COUNSEL DAVID WEISS' PROBE

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, has been negotiating with the Justice Department to have Weiss and other federal prosecutors involved in the Biden investigation to testify before his committee for months. He initially requested Weiss meet with the committee on Oct. 11.

The DOJ initially offered Weiss for public testimony back in July.

HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATORS LIMITED QUESTIONS ABOUT 'DAD,' 'BIG GUY' DESPITE FBI, IRS OBJECTIONS: WHISTLEBLOWER

Weiss, the U.S. attorney for Delaware, has been leading the Biden investigation since 2018. His appointment as special counsel came amid allegations that politics had influenced or hampered prosecutorial decisions in the yearslong investigation into the president’s son.

The president's son pleaded not guilty to all charges last month.

Weiss has said the investigation into the president's son is ongoing.

Weiss' interview comes amid House Republicans' impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

Fox News' David Spunt contributed to this report.

Hunter Biden’s ex-partner Bobulinski calls on Bidens to join him for testimony after claim he lied to FBI

Posted on November 3, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

EXCLUSIVE: Hunter Biden’s ex-business associate, Tony Bobulinski, suggested he and the Biden family appear together for public testimony before Congress after lawyers for the president's son alleged Bobulinski lied to the FBI about the nature of his business relationship.

Fox News obtained a copy of a 10-page letter Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, sent to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves, claiming Bobulinski lied to the FBI during an interview Oct. 23, 2020, about his business dealings with the president’s son.

Lowell called for Graves to investigate Bobulinski for "false" statements regarding his work. Bobulinski worked with Hunter Biden to create the joint venture SinoHawk Holdings with Chinese energy company CEFC.

An attorney for Bobulinski provided Fox News Digital a statement on behalf of his client, denying Lowell’s allegations.

BOBULINSKI OFFERED TO TESTIFY AT HUNTER BIDEN GRAND JURY BUT 'NEVER HEARD BACK': SOURCE

"All of the allegations contained in Mr. Lowell’s 10-page letter to U.S. Attorney Graves are patently false, and I look forward to exposing these lies and laying out the facts in a public forum in short order," Bobulinski said in the statement.

"The sad thing for our country is that Hunter, Jim and Joe Biden along with Abbe Lowell know they are all false and are trying to weaponize the DOJ against me.

"If Hunter Biden and the Biden family are so determined to ensure that the full truth is put before the American people, Hunter, Jim, Joe and I should all appear together before Congress, publicly and under oath," he continued. "They can name the date, time and place, and I would certainly be willing to do that for the American people."

Lowell, in the letter, claimed Bobulinski "lied about the business discussions among the partners involved" in the joint venture.

"The materials reveal the extraordinary lengths Mr. Bobulinski and other individuals were willing to go to implicate Mr. Biden or members of his family in some false and meritless allegations of wrongdoing," Lowell wrote.

"Even in an era in which people peddle knowing lies with the goal of their falsehoods being repeated and disseminated for their political advantage, these statements by Mr. Bobulinski cannot and must not go unchecked."

Lowell also alleged Bobulinski was never in Miami in 2017 for initial discussions with Hunter Biden, CEFC chairman Ye Jianming and other associates.

EXCLUSIVE: HUNTER BIDEN BUSINESS ASSOCIATE'S TEXT MESSAGES INDICATE MEETING WITH JOE BIDEN

Lowell references an infamous May 13, 2017, email that includes a breakdown of the "financial capitalization of the joint venture with CEFC."

The email, first reported by Fox News Digital in October 2020, shows a proposed equity split with references "20" for "H" and "10 held by H for the big guy?" with no further details.

Bobulinski has repeatedly said "the big guy" was Joe Biden. IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, who claimed politics influenced the years-long federal investigation into Hunter Biden, also said "the big guy" was known to be Joe Biden.

HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATORS LIMITED QUESTIONS ABOUT 'DAD,' 'BIG GUY' DESPITE FBI, IRS OBJECTIONS: WHISTLEBLOWER

Lowell, in the letter, claimed Bobulinski was "making things up" and claimed Bobulinski "has no basis in fact by which to assert that there was a reference to the ‘big guy’ or that it was not his own musing or that it was a reference to Vice President Joe Biden."

Lowell said Bobulinski’s "false statements are obviously made to greatly exaggerate Mr. Bobulinski’s short-lived business relationship" with Hunter Biden "in order to create a false narrative that Mr. Biden and Jim Biden were somehow involved in off-the-books business with CEFC Chairman Ye while Joseph Biden was still Vice President."

Lowell said Bobulinski’s "lie" is the "same false narrative that serves as the improper and illusory basis of an impeachment inquiry by House Republicans and the justification for Mr. Bobulinski’s testimony."

HUNTER DEMANDED $10M FROM CHINESE ENERGY FIRM BECAUSE 'BIDENS ARE THE BEST,' HAVE 'CONNECTIONS'

The House Oversight Committee, which is jointly leading the investigation with the House Judiciary and House Ways & Means Committees, reacted to Lowell’s request on "X," formerly Twitter, Friday afternoon.

"Hunter Biden and his legal team are once again attacking anyone who speaks out against the Bidens," the Oversight Committee wrote. "This time, their target is Tony Bobulinski, a potential witness in our investigation.

"We will not tolerate witness intimidation. The truth will come out soon enough despite the Biden team’s threatening tactics. We will give Hunter the opportunity to clear the air and speak with us soon."

Joe Biden received $40K in ‘laundered China money’ from brother in 2017, Comer says

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said President Biden, in 2017, received $40,000 in "laundered China money" from the bank account of his brother and his sister-in-law in the form of a personal check, while claiming the president has "exposed himself to future blackmail" from Beijing.

Comer, R-Ky., detailed his findings in a video posted to X Wednesday morning. The findings come after Comer subpoenaed personal and business bank records belonging to both James Biden and Hunter Biden as part of his investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings and whether the president was involved.

"Remember when Joe Biden told the American people that his son didn’t make money in China? Well, not only did he lie about his son Hunter making money in China, but it also turns out that $40,000 in laundered China money landed in Joe Biden’s bank account in the form of a personal check," Comer said. "And the Oversight Committee has it."

Comer said Biden "benefited from his family’s shady deal" with Chinese Communist Party-linked CEFC.

SPEAKER JOHNSON: BIDEN ENGAGING IN ‘COVER-UP’ OF ROLE IN HUNTER BUSINESS DEALINGS, IMPEACHMENT PROBE CONTINUES

Comer said the "money trail" began in July 2017 when Hunter Biden demanded a $10 million payment from a CEFC associate. In a WhatsApp message, he claimed "he was sitting with his father and that the Biden network would turn on his associate if he didn’t pony up the money," Comer explained.

Hunter Biden in the WhatsApp message allegedly told a Chinese business associate from Chinese energy company CEFC that he and his father would ensure "you will regret not following my direction."

Hunter requested the $10 million wire for his joint-venture with CEFC called SinoHawk Holdings.

"I am sitting here with my father, and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled," Hunter Biden told Henry Zhao, the director of Chinese asset management firm Harvest Fund Management. "And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction."

Zhao responded, in part, "CEFC is willing to cooperate with the family."

Comer, in his video, said that Hunter's "extortion scheme worked," noting that just days later, $5 million "flowed in from a Chinese affiliate of CEFC."

HUNTER DEMANDED $10M FROM CHINESE ENERGY FIRM BECAUSE 'BIDENS ARE THE BEST,' HAVE 'CONNECTIONS'

Comer, citing bank records he and his committee have obtained, said that on Aug. 8, 2017, the $5 million in funds were sent to Hudson West III, a joint-venture established by Hunter Biden and CEFC associate Gongwen Dong. The same day, Hudson West III sent $400,000 to Owasco, P.C.— a separate entity controlled and owned by Hunter Biden, Comer said.

Days later, on Aug. 14, 2017, Hunter Biden wired $150,000 to Lion Hall Group, a company owned by James Biden and his wife Sara Biden. By Aug. 28, 2017, Comer said Sara Biden withdrew $50,000 in cash from Lion Hall Group and later deposited it into her and James Biden’s personal checking account.

"A few days later, Sara Biden cut a check to Joe Biden for $40,000," Comer said, referring to the Sept. 3, 2017 check his committee obtained. "The memo line of the check said, ‘loan repayment.’"

Comer said that even if the check — which was 10% of the $400,000 sent to Hunter's Owasco — was, in fact, a loan repayment, "it still shows how Joe benefited from his family cashing in on his name — with money from China no less."

"Without his family peddling his name and his son threatening a CEFC associate with consequences that he said Joe Biden knew about, James wouldn’t have had the money to write the $40,000 check to his brother Joe," Comer said, adding that the Biden family’s business with CEFC began while Joe Biden was serving as vice president.

EMAIL FROM BIDEN'S BROTHER NAMES HARRIS, SCHUMER AS PROSPECTS FOR CHINESE FIRM

"In taking funds sourced to a CCP-linked company that wanted to advance China’s interests, Joe Biden exposed himself to future blackmail and put America’s interests behind his own desire for money," Comer said, vowing to "continue to follow the money" and to "hold President Biden accountable for his corruption."

While President Biden has maintained he was never in business with his son, text messages obtained by Fox News Digital back in 2020 revealed that Joe Biden, in May 2017, met with Hunter's business associates for the Sinohawk venture — specifically, Tony Bobulinski. The meeting on May 2, 2017, would have taken place just 11 days before a May 13, 2017, email obtained by Fox News in 2020, which included a discussion of "remuneration packages" for six people in the business deal with CEFC.

The email includes a note that "Hunter has some office expectations he will elaborate." A proposed equity split references "20" for "H" and "10 held by H for the big guy?" with no further details.

The "big guy" has been said to be a reference to President Biden.

FLASHBACK: HUNTER BIDEN IN 2017 SENT 'BEST WISHES' FROM 'ENTIRE BIDEN FAMILY' TO CHINA FIRM CHAIRMAN, REQUESTED $10M WIRE

Meanwhile, the committee also on Wednesday released its fourth bank records memo, revealing additional payments the committee has "traced" from "Chinese companies to Joe Biden."

So far, during his committee's investigation, Comer said he has found that Biden family members, their business associates and their "related companies" received "significant payments from individuals and companies in China, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Romania."

Comer said the House Oversight Committee has learned throughout its investigation that the Biden family and their business associates brought in more than $24 million between 2014 and 2019 by "selling Joe Biden as ‘the brand’ around the world."

Meanwhile, last week, Comer said his panel had uncovered evidence that Joe Biden, in 2018, received a "$200,000 direct payment" in the form of a "personal check" from James Biden and Sara Biden. That check was also labeled "loan repayment."

FLASHBACK: HUNTER BIDEN ASSOCIATE TEXTS HINT AT PUSH TO ‘GET JOE INVOLVED,’ MAKE IT LOOK LIKE ‘TRULY FAMILY BUSINESS’

HUNTER BIDEN REQUESTED KEYS FOR NEW 'OFFICE MATES' JOE BIDEN, CHINESE 'EMISSARY' TO CEFC CHAIRMAN, EMAILS SHOW

Comer said that James Biden "received $600,000 in loans from Americore — a financially distressed and failing rural hospital operator."

"According to bankruptcy court documents, James Biden received these loans based upon representations that his last name Biden, could open doors; and that he could obtain a large investment from the Middle East based on his political connections," Comer said.

"On March 1, 2018, Americore wired a $200,000 loan into James and Sara Biden’s personal bank account — not their business bank account," he continued. "And then, on the very same day, James Biden wrote a $200,000 check from this same personal bank account to Joe Biden."

Comer said James Biden "wrote this check to Joe Biden as a ‘loan repayment.’"

"Americore — a distressed company — loaned money to James Biden, who then sent it to Joe Biden," Comer said.

The White House said the committee found that as a private citizen, the president loaned his brother his own money when his brother needed it, and after reviewing bank records, there is a record that he was repaid.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment on Comer's latest allegations.

Speaker Johnson: Biden engaging in ‘cover-up’ of role in Hunter business dealings, impeachment probe continues

Posted on October 28, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

EXCLUSIVE: House Speaker Mike Johnson said President Biden is engaged in an "ongoing cover-up" and has "lied repeatedly" about his involvement in and knowledge of Hunter Biden’s business dealings, while telling Fox News Digital that the impeachment inquiry against him will continue "methodically" and without a "predetermined" outcome.

Johnson, R-La., was elected speaker of the House of Representatives this week. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., launched the impeachment inquiry against Biden in September.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital Friday evening, the speaker said the inquiry will continue under his leadership.

"We are the rule of law team, and so we have to respect and regard due process and do this in a way that the founders would have intended," he said. "Impeachment is an awesome power that Congress has, and it is not intended to be, nor should it be, used as a political tool to be wielded lightly."

COMER DEMANDS WHITE HOUSE PROVIDE RECORDS TO PROVE $200K PAYMENT TO BIDEN FROM BROTHER WAS A LOAN

Johnson added, "We take this very seriously."

The speaker said House Republicans will continue investigating, "collecting evidence and following the truth and that evidence wherever it leads."

"We’ve not predetermined the outcome of this. We’ve not pre-judged it," he said. "But I think everyone can see how it is unfolding," he added.

Johnson, a constitutional lawyer and former member of the House Judiciary Committee and House Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, has been involved in the impeachment investigation first-hand.

The inquiry is led by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, and Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith.

"They’ve just really done exceptional work uncovering the evidence," Johnson said. "They’ve done a great job, and they’ve been very methodical here."

Johnson said impeachment was "designed by the framers of the Constitution to be a very careful and sensitive thing that has to be handled legally and appropriately, and that’s what has been done by our chairmen."

Legal experts have been torn on whether Congress can initiate impeachment proceedings for alleged treason, bribery, or high crimes and misdemeanors that transpired before holding the office of the presidency.

FBI RECEIVED 'CRIMINAL INFORMATION' FROM OVER 40 CONFIDENTIAL SOURCES ON JOE BIDEN, HUNTER, JAMES: GRASSLEY

The scope of the impeachment inquiry covers the span the time of Biden’s vice presidency to the present, including his time out of office.

When asked for his theory on the matter, Johnson said: "I think I can argue the case that it should extend that far, but I’m not sure that we will have to in this case."

"We have an ongoing cover-up of the important facts as Joseph Biden is sitting in the Oval Office," Johnson said. "We know that he stared right into the camera as the president and lied repeatedly—I mean, multiple times—he lied directly multiple times about his involvement and knowledge of his son’s business dealings. We all know that now."

He added: "He is, you know, as the sitting president, he has been involved in covering it up."

DOJ ORDERED HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATORS TO 'REMOVE ANY REFERENCE' TO JOE BIDEN IN FARA PROBE WARRANT: HOUSE GOP

Johnson said he believes there is "an overwhelming amount of evidence, and that seems to indicate that he was involved and that they did know about this, and that the family did benefit from it."

"I think we might be arguing about high crimes and misdemeanors, but I’m not so certain bribery is not involved in some way here, either," Johnson said. "And of course, bribery is specifically listed in the Constitution, and so we have an obligation to pursue it."

He added, "There’s a lot of smoke here, and we’re going to find out very soon how big the fire is."

Johnson, pointing to the records being collected by House Republicans in the ongoing inquiry, said "Bank records don’t lie."

"We have receipts now, we're connecting the dots, and I think this will continue in earnest," he said.

EXCLUSIVE: JOE BIDEN ALLEGEDLY PAID $5M BY BURISMA EXECUTIVE AS PART OF A BRIBERY SCHEME, ACCORDING TO FBI DOCUMENT

Comer, R-Ky., has collected bank records belonging to the Biden family, and is continuing to do so. His panel is currently collecting subpoenaed personal and business records belonging to Hunter Biden and James Biden.

Comer so far has said his panel has uncovered that the Biden family and their business associates brought in more than $24 million between 2014 and 2019 by "selling Joe Biden as ‘the brand’ around the world.

The White House maintains that President Biden was never in business with his son and had previously insisted he never discussed business with his son or his family. White House officials have blasted the impeachment inquiry against the president as an "evidence-free" political stunt.

Johnson told Fox News Digital that there are "a lot of Americans who are really anxious to have accountability."

"But I want to assure everyone that we are working through the process in the appropriate and constitutional manner," he said. "And I think we’re well-positioned to bring accountability to the American people—they deserve it."

Meanwhile, Johnson had a "pleasant meeting" with President Biden at the White House this week.

"He was engaging and personable," Johnson said. "This is not a personal thing that I have with him. I have to do my job, and he has to do his, and my job is to bring accountability to people, and so, I don’t make any apology for that."

Johnson was on the impeachment defense team for former President Trump in 2020.

"I saw firsthand how the Democrats took a sledgehammer to hundreds of years of precedent," he said. "And we were decrying that all along the way and pointing out that they were opening a Pandora's box and really just diminishing the institution for, kind of, a political vendetta against President Trump."

When asked how he would respond to Democrats casting the continued impeachment inquiry against Biden as political, Johnson quoted John Adams.

BIDENS ALLEGEDLY 'COERCED' BURISMA CEO TO PAY THEM MILLIONS TO HELP GET UKRAINE PROSECUTOR FIRED: FBI FORM

"I don't expect anything different from our colleagues on the other side of the aisle with regard to this but as John Adams said, ‘facts are stubborn things,’ and we are going to present the facts and we're going to follow the truth," Johnson said. "And so it doesn't matter what the mainstream media narrative is or what the Democrats say—we’re going to lay the facts bare for the American people to draw their own conclusions, and I think they'll draw the right ones."

As for a timeline, Johnson said he doesn’t have one.

"And I haven't prejudged anything," he said. "If I had, I would be guilty of everything that I've pointed out Democrats have done wrong, but I do believe that we're going to draw a lot of this to conclusion soon.

And I'm anxious to do that because I think the American people are owed that."

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Beyond investigating Biden’s ties to his family’s business dealings, House Republicans are also probing the alleged obstruction of the Justice Department’s years-long federal investigation into Hunter Biden. The allegations stem from IRS whistleblowers who allege politics influenced prosecutorial steps throughout the probe.

Comer demands White House provide records to prove $200K payment to Biden from brother was a loan

Posted on October 26, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is demanding the White House provide documentation "clarifying the nature" of a $200,000 payment from James Biden to Joe Biden in 2018, Fox News Digital has learned.

Comer, R-Ky., last week, said his panel had uncovered evidence that Joe Biden, in 2018, received a "$200,000 direct payment" in the form of a "personal check" from his brother James Biden and sister-in-law Sara Biden. The check was labeled "loan repayment."

The White House last week said the committee found that as a private citizen, the president loaned his brother his own money when his brother needed it, and after reviewing bank records, there is a record that he was repaid.

COMER RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT $200K 'DIRECT PAYMENT' FROM JAMES BIDEN TO JOE BIDEN IN 2018

But on Thursday, Comer penned a letter to White House Counsel Edward Siskel requesting documentation on the payment.

"The White House has claimed Joe Biden loaned James Biden $200,000, and this check was repayment," Comer wrote. "Records obtained by the committee do show numerous large incoming transactions into the personal accounts of James and Sara Biden from various entities."

Comer, in September, had subpoenaed the personal and business financial records belonging to both James Biden and Hunter Biden.

"Some of these transaction records may have obscured the identity of the true payer, but no records in the committee’s possession state that Joe Biden made a large loan payment to his brother," Comer wrote.

"If Joe Biden did personally loan James Biden an amount that was later repaid by the $200,000 check, please provide the loan documents, including the loan payment, loan agreement, and any other supporting loan documentation," Comer wrote.

Comer flagged that the Internal Revenue Code has "specific requirements for delineating and reporting ‘below-market [rate] loans’ from gifts."

FBI RECEIVED 'CRIMINAL INFORMATION' FROM OVER 40 CONFIDENTIAL SOURCES ON JOE BIDEN, HUNTER, JAMES: GRASSLEY

"While there are some exceptions, for example loans of $10,000 or less, the payment in question would not appear exempt from such requirements if it is a loan," Comer said. "Indeed, there appears to have been no interest paid on the ‘loan’ based upon the White House’s own representations."

Comer said the "current lack of documentation" leaves "reason to doubt claims that this transaction was repayment for a legal loan."

Comer requested documentation "clarifying the nature of this payment and whether all applicable documentation and IRS filings were properly made."

"Whether it was a loan or not, James Biden’s March 1, 2018, check to Joe Biden aptly demonstrates one way he personally benefited from his family’s shady influence peddling os his name and their access to him," Comer said. "Even if the transaction in question was part of a loan agreement, we are troubled that Joe Biden’s ability to recoup funds depend on his brother’s cashing-in on the Biden brand."

Comer has been leading an investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings since January and whether President Biden was involved in those ventures or "personally benefited" from them.

Comer first made public the revelation of the $200,000 "loan repayment" from James to Joe Biden last week in a video posted to "X," formerly known as Twitter.

In the video, Comer explains that in 2018, James Biden "received $600,000 in loans from Americore – a financially distressed and failing rural hospital operator."

"On March 1, 2018, Americore wired a $200,000 loan into James and Sara Biden’s personal bank account – not their business bank account," he continued. "And then, on the very same day, James Biden wrote a $200,000 check from this same personal bank account to Joe Biden."

Comer said James Biden "wrote this check to Joe Biden as a ‘loan repayment.’"

"Americore – a distressed company – loaned money to James Biden who then sent it to Joe Biden," Comer said.

Comer also demanded Biden answer whether he knew that the same day he received the $200,000 check, "James Biden had just received a loan for the exact same amount from business dealings with a company that was in financial distress and failing."

The White House, last week, blasted the investigation altogether, calling it a "self-debunking wild goose chase that’s only turning up evidence that President Biden did nothing wrong."

"After rummaging through thousands of pages of a private citizen’s bank records, they have again turned up zero evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden – and that’s because there is none," White House spokesperson Ian Sams said. "President Biden didn’t do anything wrong."

Comer's claims come amid his months-long investigation. Comer, alongside House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., is leading the House impeachment inquiry against Biden.

FBI received ‘criminal information’ from over 40 confidential sources on Joe Biden, Hunter, James: Grassley

Posted on October 25, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

EXCLUSIVE: The FBI maintained more than 40 confidential human sources on various criminal matters related to the Biden family, including Joe Biden, dating back to his time as vice president, according to information obtained by Sen. Chuck Grassley.

The confidential human sources "provided criminal information to the FBI relating to Joe Biden, James Biden, and Hunter Biden." Those confidential human sources were managed by multiple FBI field offices across the nation—including the FBI’s Seattle Field Office.

EXCLUSIVE: JOE BIDEN ALLEGEDLY PAID $5M BY BURISMA EXECUTIVE AS PART OF A BRIBERY SCHEME, ACCORDING TO FBI DOCUMENT

But Grassley learned that an FBI task force within the Washington Field Office sought to, and in some cases, successfully, shut down reporting and information from those sources by falsely discrediting the information as foreign disinformation. That effort "caused investigative activity to cease."

However, despite those efforts by the FBI task force, Grassley said in at least one instance, a confidential human source and its information had been vetted by multiple U.S. attorney’s offices, which found "no hits to known sources of Russian disinformation."

The revelations were laid out in a letter Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray late Tuesday night. The letter was exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital.

"Based on the information provided to my office over a period of years by multiple credible whistleblowers, there appears to be an effort within the Justice Department and FBI to shut down investigative activity relating to the Biden family," Grassley wrote to Garland and Wray. "Such decisions point to significant political bias infecting the decision-making of not only the Attorney General and FBI Director, but also line agents and prosecutors."

He added: "Our Republic cannot survive such a political infection and you have an obligation to this country to clear the air."

Grassley has been investigating for years information, records, and allegations from multiple Justice Department whistleblowers that indicate "there is—and has been—an effort among certain Justice Department and FBI officials to improperly delay and stop full and complete investigative activity into the Biden family, including but not limited to FD-1023s referencing the Biden family."

An FD-1023 is an FBI-generated form used to document confidential human source reporting.

BIDENS ALLEGEDLY 'COERCED' BURISMA CEO TO PAY THEM MILLIONS TO HELP GET UKRAINE PROSECUTOR FIRED: FBI FORM

"An essential question that must be answered is this: did the FBI investigate the information or shut it down?" Grassley wrote, noting that if those sources were "improperly shut down, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for the FBI."

One critical FD-1023 in question was first reported on by Fox News Digital earlier this year. That form included reporting from a "highly-credible" confidential human source who alleged a criminal bribery scheme between then-Vice President Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden, and the founder and CEO of Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings, Mykola Zlochevsky.

The form details multiple meetings and conversations the source had with a top executive of Burisma Holdings over the course of several years starting in 2015. Hunter Biden, at the time, sat on the board of Burisma.

The source told the FBI that Joe Biden and Hunter Biden allegedly "coerced" Zlochevsky to pay them millions of dollars in exchange for their help in getting the Ukrainian prosecutor investigating the company, Viktor Shokin, fired.

The White House has denied the allegations.

But that form and those allegations are "part of an ongoing investigative matter," which Grassley says indicates "its investigative credibility and authenticity."

In the letter transmitted to the DOJ and FBI late Tuesday, Grassley revealed that in December 2019, the FBI Washington Field Office closed a "205B" Kleptocracy case into Zlochevsky. That probe had been opened in January 2016 by a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act squad based out of that same field office—a squad that included agents from FBI headquarters.

EXCLUSIVE: PERSON ALLEGING BIDEN CRIMINAL BRIBERY SCHEME IS 'HIGHLY CREDIBLE' FBI SOURCE USED SINCE OBAMA ADMIN: SOURCE

At the time of the closing of the probe, in December 2019, Hunter Biden’s role on the board of Burisma was heavily under the microscope amid the first impeachment of former President Trump. The impeachment proceedings were based on a request from Trump to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the Biden family’s business dealings in Ukraine and why the prosecutor investigating Burisma had been fired.

Months later, in February 2020, Grassley said a meeting took place at the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office, which involved discussion about investigative matters relating to the Hunter Biden investigation and related inquiries. By March 2020, a "guardian" assessment was opened in that office to analyze information about the Bidens provided by then-Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.

During the course of that assessment, DOJ and FBI officials located an FD-1023 from March 1, 2017, relating to the kleptocracy investigation of Zlochevsky. That document included a reference to Hunter Biden being on the board of Burisma, which "the handling agent deemed at the time non-relevant information to the ongoing criminal financial case."

"When that FD-1023 was discovered, Justice Department and FBI officials asked the handler for the Confidential Human Source to re-interview that CHS," Grassley said.

Eventually, that re-interview took place, Grassley said, and the aforementioned FD-1023 alleging a criminal scheme between then-Vice President Biden, Hunter Biden, and Zlochevsky, was created in June 2020.

But federal prosecutors in Pittsburgh were "limited in their investigative abilities." Grassley said because it was merely an "assessment." Prosecutors were not able to issue subpoenas and search warrants, but instead, only able to conduct "database checks."

"My office has been informed that the FBI agents and DOJ officials working the Pittsburgh Assessment had to pause their work for weeks at a time because the assessment had to be re-approved every 30 days by multiple DOJ and FBI officials," Grassley wrote in the letter.

DOJ KNEW HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP WAS 'NOT MANIPULATED,' CONTAINED 'RELIABLE EVIDENCE' IN 2019: WHISTLEBLOWER

Several months later, in August 2020, FBI Supervisory Intelligence Analyst Brian Auten opened an assessment, which was used by the Foreign Influence Task Force, to seek out confidential human source information at FBI field offices across the country relating to the Biden family. Grassley said he then worked to "falsely discredit them as foreign disinformation."

The task force "attempted to shut down" the investigative steps on the FD-1023 in question, saying it "was subject to foreign disinformation."

"It should be emphasized that the basis for trying to shut down the Biden family 1023 has been described to my office as highly suspect and is contradicted by other documents my office has been told exist within the Foreign Influence Task Force, FBI Seattle Field Office, FBI Baltimore Field Office, and FBI HQ holdings," Grassley wrote.

During that same time period, in August 2020, that task force traveled to Capitol Hill and "improperly briefed" Grassley and Johnson on their investigation into the Biden family after "pressure from congressional Democrats."

"That improper briefing was used by Democrat’s and the partisan media to falsely claim our investigation, which was based on Obama/Biden administration records, was impacted by foreign disinformation," Grassley wrote.

The Pittsburgh assessment was ultimately closed weeks later, in Sept. 2020, and a final report of its findings was transmitted by U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Scott Brady to the main Justice Department—specifically directed to Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Rich Donoghue.

DOJ ORDERED HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATORS TO 'REMOVE ANY REFERENCE' TO JOE BIDEN IN FARA PROBE WARRANT: HOUSE GOP

The subject line of that report, dated Sept. 21, 2020, was: "VETTING."

In that report, Brady noted that investigators "had limited ability to verify all information," due to their lack of authorization for a grand jury. Investigators were unable to issue subpoenas for relevant documents or for interviews. The report, though, included a recommendation that "additional investigative activity be done."

Brady’s office, did, however, coordinate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in 2020 on the Biden FD-1023. Both U.S. attorneys offices "found no hits to known sources of Russian disinformation" related to the FD-1023 in question.

The report was eventually transmitted to now-Special Counsel David Weiss, who has been investigating Hunter Biden since 2018. That probe was launched initially as a money laundering investigation and a Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) case. That investigation is ongoing.

Meanwhile, on a call in early October 2020, it became clear that FBI agents in Delaware "were in possession of email evidence that contradicted denials made by Joe Biden that he was never aware of or involved in Hunter Biden’s business arrangements."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf was briefed in late October 2020 on the contents of the FD-1023 in question, but Grassley said she "prevented investigators from seeking information about Joe Biden’s involvement in Hunter Biden’s criminal arrangements." IRS whistleblowers involved in the investigation have also made that allegation.

Grassley also noted that in October 2020, an "avenue of derogatory Hunter Biden reporting was ordered closed" at the direction of Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Thibault— a move that whistleblowers said was made "in furtherance of Auten’s assessment."

Grassley said publicly released portions of Thibault’s interview with the House Judiciary Committee confirmed those allegations and reveals that an FBI headquarters and "Baltimore element wanted the Hunter Biden reporting closed which Thibault followed through on."

DOJ REVEALS HUNTER BIDEN STILL UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION FOR POTENTIAL FARA VIOLATIONS

Weeks later, after the 2020 presidential election, Grassley and Johnson made public their final report out of their probe, detailing their findings based on hundreds of Treasury Department Suspicious Activity Reports, interviews, and thousands of pages of government records dating back to the Obama administration.

"Our findings indicated potential criminal activity, to include money laundering, with respect to members of the Biden family and their business associates as well as strong financial connections to questionable foreign nationals and foreign government-linked corporate entities," Grassley wrote.

HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATORS LIMITED QUESTIONS ABOUT 'DAD,' 'BIG GUY' DESPITE FBI, IRS OBJECTIONS: WHISTLEBLOWER

Since, Grassley has been in touch with Weiss’ team, and has provided hundreds of pages of bank records "connecting the Biden family to Chinese-government linked entities."

Grassley demanded the FBI and DOJ provide answers to his letter by Nov. 17.

DOJ prosecutors to answer questions on Hunter Biden probe behind closed doors at House Judiciary

Posted on October 23, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Federal prosecutors will appear for transcribed interviews behind closed doors at the House Judiciary Committee this week amid the panel’s investigation into alleged politicization of the Hunter Biden probe.

Fox News has learned that U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, Martin Estrada, will sit for a transcribed interview on Tuesday, and DOJ Tax Division attorney Stuart Goldberg is expected to sit for his interview Wednesday.

The requests for DOJ officials to answer questions before the committee come after allegations of politicization and misconduct at the Justice Department agencies throughout the years-long probe into the president’s son.

HUNTER BIDEN PROSECUTOR DAVID WEISS TO APPEAR FOR CLOSED-DOOR HOUSE JUDICIARY INTERVIEW NEXT MONTH

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, has been negotiating with the Justice Department to have federal prosecutors involved in the Biden investigation to testify before his committee for months.

Special Counsel David Weiss, who is overseeing the government's investigation into Biden, is now expected to appear for his transcribed interview on Nov. 7 behind closed doors.

HUNTER BIDEN PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO FEDERAL GUN CHARGES OUT OF SPECIAL COUNSEL DAVID WEISS' PROBE

The Justice Department had initially offered Weiss for public testimony back in July. A Justice Department source told Fox News that they would prefer Weiss testify in public.

HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATORS LIMITED QUESTIONS ABOUT 'DAD,' 'BIG GUY' DESPITE FBI, IRS OBJECTIONS: WHISTLEBLOWER

The president's son pleaded not guilty to all charges earlier this month.

Weiss has said the investigation into the president's son is ongoing.

Weiss' interview comes amid House Republicans' impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

The status of the impeachment inquiry is unclear, however, after the ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as House speaker.

Comer raises questions about $200k ‘direct payment’ from James Biden to Joe Biden in 2018

Posted on October 20, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said his panel has uncovered evidence that Joe Biden, in 2018, received a "$200,000 direct payment" from his brother James Biden and sister-in-law Sara Biden, and is demanding the president answer questions about "financial arrangements" with members of his family.

Comer, R-Ky., has been leading an investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings since January and whether President Biden was involved in those ventures or "personally benefited" from them.

COMER DEMANDS ANSWERS ON WHETHER BIDEN CLASSIFIED RECORDS MENTION COUNTRIES RELATED TO FAMILY BUSINESS DEALS

Comer, in September, issued three subpoenas for the personal and business bank records belonging to both Hunter Biden and James Biden.

Comer, in a video posted to "X," formerly known as Twitter, detailing his committee’s latest findings. Comer said the check was written by James Biden to President Biden as a "loan repayment," but questioned the timing.

"Bank records obtained by the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability have revealed a $200,000 direct payment from James and Sara Biden to Joe Biden in the form of a personal check," Comer states.

Comer explains that in 2018, James Biden "received $600,000 in loans from Americore —a financially distressed and failing rural hospital operator."

"On March 1, 2018, Americore wired a $200,000 loan into James and Sara Biden’s personal bank account—not their business bank account," he continued. "And then, on the very same day, James Biden wrote a $200,000 check from this same personal bank account to Joe Biden."

Comer said James Biden "wrote this check to Joe Biden as a ‘loan repayment.’"

"Americore—a distressed company—loaned money to James Biden who then sent it to Joe Biden," Comer said.

But Comer said even if the payment was "a personal loan repayment, it’s still troubling that Joe Biden’s ability to be paid back by his brother depended on the success of his family’s shady financial dealings."

"Some immediate questions President Biden must answer for the American people: Does he have documents proving he lent such a large sum of money to his brother and what were the terms of such financial arrangement?" Comer asked. "Did he have similar financial arrangements with other family members that led them to make similar large payments to him?"

DOJ ORDERED HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATORS TO 'REMOVE ANY REFERENCE' TO JOE BIDEN IN FARA PROBE WARRANT: HOUSE GOP

"The House Oversight Committee will soon announce our next investigative actions and continue to follow the money," he said. "The bank records don’t end here. There is more to come."

Comer's findings come amid his months-long investigation. Comer, alongside House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., is leading the House impeachment inquiry against Biden.