By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and FARNOUSH AMIRI (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The special counsel overseeing the Hunter Biden investigation is expected to testify before a Congressional committee behind closed doors as a GOP probe into the Justice Department’s handling of the case continues to unfold.
In a rare step, David Weiss is set to appear for a transcribed interview before members of the House Judiciary Committee on Nov. 7, sources told The Associated Press Friday on the condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door appearance.
It comes months after an Internal Revenue Service agent testified as part of a GOP probe that the investigation into the president’s son was “slow-walked” and mishandled. Weiss has denied one of the more explosive allegations by saying in writing that he had final say over the case.
Questions about Hunter Biden’s business dealings have been central to a GOP-led impeachment inquiry into the president. That’s been led in part by Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, who was also running for speaker Friday in a drawn-out election that’s largely brought legislative business to a standstill.
The Justice Department has previously offered to let Weiss testify about the authority he had over the investigation, noting that it is an “extraordinary step” for a prosecutor to speak to Congress while the criminal investigation is still open but saying it is warranted due to deep concerns about “any misrepresentations about our work that could harm public confidence.”
Weiss is expected to make a single appearance next month. However, the Justice Department noted in a letter to the Judiciary Committee last month that he could be called on for public testimony after the investigation is over.
Weiss, who also serves as U.S. Attorney for Delaware, has been investigating Hunter Biden for five years, and the case was expected to come to a conclusion with a plea deal on tax and gun charges that spared him jail time this summer. But the agreement imploded after it came under scathing GOP criticism as a “sweetheart deal” and a judge separately raised questions about the terms in court.
Hunter Biden has now been charged with three felony firearm courts related to his purchase of a gun in 2018, a period when he has acknowledged struggling with addiction. Weiss has also indicated Hunter Biden could face tax charges, though none have yet been filed.
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