Newly released emails have cast doubt on previous statements by David Weiss, the U.S. attorney for Delaware, about his sole control over the Hunter Biden investigation’s charging decisions. These emails were shared by The Federalist after being obtained by the Heritage Foundation through a lawsuit.
The communications suggest that Weiss, now the special counsel for the Biden investigation, had multiple interactions with the Department of Justice (DOJ) when addressing questions from Republican lawmakers about the case.
Contrasting with Weiss’s June 7 letter to House Judiciary Chair, Jim Jordan, where he stated his unique decision-making authority, the emails show the DOJ’s involvement. In these emails, DOJ officials seemed to be more involved in crafting responses than Weiss.
Specifically, one email revealed Weiss questioning whether the DOJ’s Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA) had responded to Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson’s May 2022 inquiry. Although the senators directed their letter to Weiss, it was OLA who answered them a month later, declining their questions.
After another query from the senators, OLA indicated its intention to lead the reply, as per The Federalist’s report.
This back-and-forth has led to skepticism, with Heritage Foundation director Mike Howell expressing his concerns about the transparency and integrity of the communications. Notably, Weiss’s claim of “ultimate authority” was a response to an inquiry initially meant for Attorney General Merrick Garland.
The Federalist concluded that the DOJ might have crafted the “ultimate authority” letter that Weiss supposedly sent on June 7, further muddying the waters around the Hunter Biden investigation.
