Washington — House Republicans issued a subpoena Tuesday to a federal prosecutor involved in the criminal investigation into Hunter Biden, demanding answers for what they allege is Justice Department interference in the yearslong case into the president's son.
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, called on Lesley Wolf, the assistant U.S. attorney for Delaware, to appear before the committee by Dec. 7, according to a copy of the congressional subpoena obtained by The Associated Press.
"Based on the committee's investigation to date, it is clear that you possess specialized and unique information that is unavailable to the committee through other sources and without which the committee's inquiry would be incomplete," Jordan wrote in an accompanying letter to Wolf.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The subpoena to Wolf is the latest in a series of demands Jordan and fellow Republican chairmen have made as part of their sprawling impeachment inquiry into President Biden. The president's son and brother James received subpoenas last week as Republicans look to gain ground in their nearly yearlong investigation, which has so failed to uncover evidence directly implicating the president in any wrongdoing.
Wolf, who serves with David Weiss, the U.S. attorney for Delaware and now special counsel in charge of the case, has been accused by whistleblowers from the Internal Revenue Service of "deviating from standard investigative protocol" and showing preferential treatment because Hunter Biden is the president's son.
Republicans have claimed that it was clear that the prosecutors didn't want to touch anything that would include Hunter Biden's father. In one instance, Gary Shapley, an IRS employee assigned to the case, testified that in a meeting with Weiss and Wolf after the 2020 election, he and other agents wanted to discuss an email between Hunter Biden associates where one person made reference to the "big guy." Shapley said Wolf refused to do so, saying she did not want to ask questions about "dad."
In another incident, FBI officials notified Hunter Biden's Secret Service detail in advance of an effort to interview him and several of his business associates in order to avoid a confrontation between two law enforcement bodies.
Republicans Demand Testimony from Justice Department Official in Hunter Biden Investigation
Republicans in Congress are calling for the testimony of a Justice Department official who was involved in the investigation of Hunter Biden, the son of President Biden. The official, Sally Yates, has been accused of political interference in the case.
The Justice Department has defended its handling of the investigation, citing the need to be cautious with cases that have potential political implications during an election. Yates has denied any political motivations in the decision-making process.
However, Republicans argue that Yates has first-hand knowledge of the investigation and should testify before lawmakers. They are particularly interested in whether President Biden had any involvement in the investigation or attempted to obstruct it.
