In a critical phase of the impeachment inquiry against President Biden, the House committees leading the investigation are set to question key witnesses behind closed doors. Among the witnesses is Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf, who is expected to provide answers during a deposition before the House Judiciary Committee.
The deposition, scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, follows allegations made by an IRS whistleblower, Gary Shapley, who claimed that Wolf sought to obstruct investigators from asking questions related to President Biden throughout the federal investigation into Hunter Biden. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan subpoenaed Wolf last month in response to these allegations.
Wolf’s alleged actions include limiting questioning about President Biden, as well as tipping off Hunter Biden’s legal team about a planned search of his storage unit. According to Shapley, Wolf cited “optics” as a driving factor in the decision to execute a search warrant, expressing doubt about obtaining approval to search the guest house of former Vice President Biden.
The House impeachment inquiry, co-led by Jordan, focuses on whether politics improperly influenced prosecutorial decisions during the Hunter Biden investigation. Special Counsel David Weiss, who has been leading the investigation since 2018, recently testified that he was not granted special attorney authority by the Justice Department, confirming Shapley’s recollection.
Weiss also revealed that he sought partnerships with other U.S. attorneys but was declined by both Matthew Graves and Martin Estrada, further supporting Shapley’s allegations. The House Judiciary Committee expects additional witnesses for transcribed interviews before the end of the year.
Simultaneously, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith will hold a public executive session featuring testimony from IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, who will defend their claims related to the Hunter Biden investigation. Smith will also release additional information related to his investigation on Tuesday.
In addition, the House Oversight Committee has scheduled Hunter Biden for a closed-door deposition on December 13. Oversight Chairman James Comer subpoenaed Hunter Biden last month, and although his attorney requested a public hearing, Comer insists on a deposition first to continue the fact-finding efforts. Comer plans to release Hunter Biden’s deposition transcript and schedule a public hearing thereafter.
Overall, House Republicans are intensifying their investigations into Hunter Biden, with Comer also subpoenaing James Biden, the president’s brother. The committee aims to conduct sit-down transcribed interviews with various Biden family members and Hunter Biden’s business associates to gather more information.
Separately, Comer has subpoenaed former White House counsel Dana Remus to answer questions about President Biden’s alleged improper retention of classified materials. This effort is part of an investigation into whether the classified materials contained information related to the foreign countries with which the Biden family was involved in business.
As the impeachment inquiry progresses and new information emerges, the scrutiny surrounding Hunter Biden’s activities and potential political influence continues to grow.
Brooke Singman is a Digital politics reporter. You can reach her at [email protected] or @BrookeSingman on Twitter. Stay updated with the latest developments from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews, and more political content.
