FOX News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports that former Department of Justice official Lesley Wolf appeared before House investigators on Thursday to address concerns about the expiration of the statute of limitations before investigating Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company. Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, expressed frustration after Wolf refused to answer questions during the closed-door interview with House members. According to Jordan, Wolf cited instructions from the Justice Department as her reason for not providing answers.
Wolf clarified that she did not receive any additional instructions from the DOJ after the House voted to formalize the impeachment inquiry into President Biden. The investigation into Hunter Biden, the president’s son, began in 2018 and has been the subject of political controversy. IRS whistleblowers have alleged that Wolf worked to limit questions related to President Biden during the federal investigation into Hunter Biden. These whistleblowers claim that Wolf sought to block investigators from asking about apparent references to President Biden as “dad” or “the big guy.”
Despite Wolf’s refusal to answer questions, Jordan maintained that the core of the whistleblower allegations has been proven correct. He highlighted the accuracy of the testimony provided by IRS Special Agent Gary Shapley and IRS Criminal Investigator Joseph Ziegler, who testified that they were unable to ask certain questions during the Hunter Biden probe. Democratic Rep. Glenn Ivey of Maryland, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, dismissed the interview with Wolf as a waste of time and accused Republicans of being desperate to find justification for an impeachment inquiry against Biden.
It is worth noting that Wolf is no longer employed by the Justice Department, according to reports. She had longstanding plans to leave the agency. During the investigation into Hunter Biden, Wolf served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Delaware. Hunter Biden, who defied a congressional subpoena to testify under oath, made a public statement outside the Capitol on Wednesday, denying any financial involvement by his father in his business dealings and criticizing the Republican impeachment inquiry.
In October 2020, Wolf reviewed an affidavit for a search warrant of Hunter Biden’s residence and agreed that probable cause had been achieved, according to Shapley. However, she ultimately decided against issuing a physical search warrant. Shapley explained that Wolf questioned whether the potential outcome of the search was worth the effort. Hunter Biden’s refusal to appear for a deposition at the House Oversight Committee has prompted threats from Republicans, including Comer and Jordan, to hold him in contempt of Congress.
Hunter Biden’s public statement on Wednesday followed his recent indictment on charges related to federal income tax evasion. Special Counsel David Weiss has alleged that Hunter Biden engaged in a “four-year scheme” of unpaid taxes from January 2017 to October 2020, along with filing false tax reports. The charges, which have since been paid, include three felonies and six misdemeanors. Weiss also indicted Hunter Biden on federal gun charges in September, to which he has pleaded not guilty. Biden’s defense attorney has moved to dismiss these charges.
The investigation led by Special Counsel David Weiss is ongoing. Brooke Singman, a digital politics reporter, contributed to this article. For more political updates and exclusive interviews, you can reach her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @BrookeSingman. Stay subscribed for the latest content on politics.
