David Weiss, the federal prosecutor charged with investigating Hunter Biden, has offered to testify publicly before Congress this fall, according to a Letter sent by the Department of Justice to the Chairman of the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, Jim Jordan on Monday.
“The Department believes that it is in the great public interest of the American people and Congress to hear directly from United States Attorney Weiss about these assertions and questions about his authority in a public hearing,” Assistant Attorney General Carlos Felipe Uriarte wrote in the letterObtained by NBC News.
Weiss would be available to testify on September 27, 28, October 18 and 19, Uriarte wrote, adding that «the most appropriate time for any testimony on these issues is after the matter is closed.»
A Jordan spokesperson did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.
Last month, House Republicans demanded testimony from Justice Department and IRS officials about whistleblower allegations that there was improper meddling in the Hunter Biden investigation.
Jordan and the chairs of the House Ways and Means and Oversight committees sought interviews with more than a dozen officials involved in the investigation of the president’s son, including Weiss.
The House Republicans’ lawsuit came after Weiss, a Trump administration holdover, announced he had reached a plea deal with Hunter Biden on tax-related charges after an extensive five-year investigation. Biden agreed to plead guilty to two federal misdemeanor charges for failing to pay his taxes. He also faces a separate weapons possession charge that will likely be dismissed if he meets certain conditions, according to court documents.
IRS whistleblowers alleged that Weiss sought the authority to indict Hunter Biden on broader charges in Washington and California than the tax-related misdemeanors to which the president’s son has agreed to plead guilty.
According to a 212-page transcript of his interview, IRS employee Gary Shapley said Attorney General Merrick Garland falsely claimed to Congress in earlier testimony that Weiss, who is based in Delaware, had the authority to bring charges in other jurisdictions, including California and Washington, D.C. Shapley said filing charges in those districts is not something U.S. attorneys there, appointed by President Joe Biden, would do.
The Justice Department denied the allegations by the IRS whistleblowers.
In a letter to Jordan, Weiss denied that the Justice Department has retaliated against IRS officials «for making protected disclosures to Congress.» He also said that he believes he could file charges outside of his home district if the investigation leads in that direction.
In the letter, Weiss did not directly address claims that he was barred from filing charges outside of his home district, but insisted that he was given «ultimate authority» over the Hunter Biden investigation, «including the responsibility to decide where, when, and whether to file charges.»