Senate Republicans are intensifying their probe into allegations involving Joe and Hunter Biden. Spearheaded by Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), the Republicans are demanding answers from U.S. Attorney David Weiss regarding unresolved questions in the probe and new allegations that Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf obstructed efforts to link President Joe Biden to the investigation.
CBS News’ Catherine Herridge reported the letter from Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) to U.S. Attorney David Weiss that is dated on Sunday.
NEW: Letter @ChuckGrassley to US Attorney Weiss obtained @CBSNews detailing Oct. 2020 briefing on alleged bribery scheme involving then-VP Biden + Hunter Biden. IRS agents excluded. Further questions alleged blocks by Weiss deputy.”Did AUSA Wolf take similar proactive measures to… pic.twitter.com/OgxXjohA0C
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) July 9, 2023
“Based on information provided to my office from individuals aware of the meeting, on October 23, 2020, Justice Department and FBI Special Agents from the Pittsburgh Field Office briefed Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf, one of your top prosecutors, and FBI Special Agents from the Baltimore Field Office with respect to the contents of the FBI-generated FD-1023 alleging a criminal bribery scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and Hunter Biden; however, that meeting did not include any IRS agents,” the letter states.
“In addition, based on information provided to my office, potentially hundreds of Justice Department and FBI officials have had access to the FD-1023 at issue, which begs the question that I’ve been asking since the start of my oversight in this matter: what steps have the Justice Department and FBI taken to investigate the allegations? You, Attorney General Garland, and Director Wray have failed to answer,” the letter continues.
“As you are aware, IRS whistleblowers have affirmed that AUSA Wolf prevented investigators from seeking information about Joe Biden’s involvement in Hunter Biden’s criminal business arrangements,” the letter added. “AUSA Wolf frustrated investigative efforts to question Rob Walker about Joe Biden; AUSA Wolf admitted that ‘more than enough probable cause’ had been achieved for a physical search warrant at Joe Biden’s guest house but prevented it from happening due to ‘optics’; AUSA Wolf prevented investigators from searching Hunter Biden’s storage unit; AUSA Wolf called Hunter Biden’s defense counsel informing him of the interest in the storage unit. Did AUSA Wolf take similar proactive measures to frustrate any investigation into the FD-1023?”
The senator then asked a series of questions about Wolf’s alleged obstruction of the Joe and Hunter Biden investigation.
“In light of AUSA Wolf’s alleged questionable and obstructive conduct during the course of your investigation, I’m seeking clarification from you with respect to your knowledge of these allegations and how you’ve handled them. Please answer the following questions no later than July 21, 2023”:
- When did you become aware of the October 2020 briefing provided by Justice Department and FBI officials to AUSA Wolf and the FBI Baltimore Field Office?
- Are you aware of any steps AUSA Wolf and the Baltimore Field Office took to investigate the information within the FD-1023 before and after the October 2020 briefing? If not, why not?
- Why were IRS agents not included in the October 2020 briefing?
- Does the scope of your alleged ‘ongoing investigation’ include criminal bribery with respect to the alleged criminal scheme between a foreign national and then Vice President Biden and Hunter Biden? If not, why not?
- Have you taken any steps to recover the alleged audio recording and related evidence referenced in the FD-1023? If not, why not?
- When were you assured that you would be granted (Section) 515 Authority in the District of Columbia, the Central District of California, or any other district where charges could be brought in the Hunter Biden matter? Have you requested that specific authority yet? If not, why not? If so, when, where, and was the request satisfied?
The Department of Justice’s Inspector General Michael Horowitz was copied on Senator Grassley’s letter to U.S. Attorney Weiss.
Campaign finance records reveal that Lesley Wolf and her husband have a history of donating to Democratic campaigns. Federal Election Commission records indicate that her husband made 14 donations to Barack Obama’s campaign. Additionally, Lesley Wolf contributed to ActBlue, a Democratic fundraising organization, with her donation specifically designated for Democrat Amy Klobuchar’s presidential primary campaign. OpenSecrets.org also shows that she made contributions to Josh Shapiro, the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania.
Before joining the Department of Justice, Wolf worked as a law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Anita Brody, who was appointed by George H.W. Bush. She also served as an associate at the corporate law firm Ropes & Gray. According to University of Iowa law professor Derek Muller, 91% of the firm’s political donations between 2017 and 2020 were made to Democrats, making it the 39th-most liberal among the top 100 law firms in the country.
In March 2020, Lesley Wolf was appointed as the Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator for the Delaware District by U.S. District Attorney David Weiss. She has prosecuted cases involving fraud amounts of $1.1 million and $246,000.
Weiss and Garland expected to testify before Congress about Hunter Biden’s plea deal. Senate Republicans will have more allegations to discuss at the hearing, including Hunter Biden’s alleged connection to a “human trafficking” ring.
Sen. Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) sent a letter on Thursday to Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and U.S. Attorney David Weiss.
In their letter, the Republican senators raised specific questions for Garland and Wray. They sought clarification on whether the FBI is conducting an investigation into potential criminal violations by Hunter Biden in connection with his reported use of escorts linked to human trafficking rings. Additionally, they inquired whether the FBI provided any defensive briefings to Hunter Biden regarding counterintelligence concerns raised by his close financial associations with individuals linked to the communist Chinese government, other foreign governments, and his reported involvement with foreign escorts.
During a period of approximately three and a half months between November 2018 and March 2019, Hunter Biden allegedly spent over $30,000 on escorts, some of whom had “.ru” Russian email addresses, and was associated with an exclusive model agency known as UberGFE. It is noted that Joe Biden committed to wiring him a total of $100,000 during that time to assist with his financial obligations, and there are indications that certain payments made by Hunter may have triggered suspicious activity reports with his banks.
In response to these developments, Congressional Republicans have expressed their intentions to delve further into the matter and conduct additional investigations.
