Staff Reports
In a surprising twist, an FBI official has contradicted the claims of a whistleblower who alleged that the prosecutor investigating Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, did not have the authority to bring charges against him outside of Delaware. The whistleblower, Gary Shapley, an IRS agent, made these allegations in notes taken after a meeting with U.S. Attorney David Weiss in October 2022. Shapley’s supervisor has supported his account. However, FBI official Thomas Sobocinski testified that he did not recall Weiss ever making such a statement and that he would have remembered if he had. Sobocinski’s position on Weiss’s charging authority remained unchanged throughout the meeting. Despite this contradiction, Weiss eventually brought charges against Hunter Biden in federal court in Delaware.
This revelation comes in the wake of Weiss changing his position on his own charging authority. Initially, Weiss claimed to have “ultimate authority” over the matter, including the decision to file charges and where to file them. However, he later clarified that his authority was “limited” to Delaware, and he would need to partner with local U.S. attorneys to bring charges outside the state. If the local attorney rejected the request, Weiss could seek special attorney status. According to Shapley’s notes, Weiss attempted to bring charges against Hunter Biden in the District of Columbia and the Central District of California but was met with resistance from U.S. Attorneys Matthew Graves and Martin Estrada, both appointed by President Biden. Weiss also requested special counsel status, but his request was denied by the Department of Justice.
The contradicting testimonies and changing positions surrounding Hunter Biden’s case have only added to the confusion and controversy surrounding the investigation. Both Shapley and Sobocinski expressed concerns over the slow pace of the yearslong investigation, with Sobocinski admitting that he would have liked it to move faster. As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen what the ultimate outcome will be for Hunter Biden and whether justice will be served.
