Mr. Shapley, testifying earlier than the Home Methods and Means Committee in Might below what Republicans mentioned had been whistle-blower protections, mentioned he and different investigators had witnessed Mr. Weiss saying final 12 months that he wouldn’t be the “deciding official” concerning whether or not to prosecute Mr. Biden. Mr. Shapley mentioned that Mr. Weiss had been turned down when he sought particular counsel standing after being advised by native prosecutors that he couldn’t carry costs. Home Republicans launched the testimony final month.
Mr. Shapley recounted arguing in conferences with Mr. Weiss and different prosecutors to aggressively pursue costs towards Hunter Biden stemming from his failure to pay taxes in 2014 and 2015, two years not coated below Mr. Biden’s settlement to plead responsible on the misdemeanor tax costs. Throughout these years, Mr. Biden was incomes earnings from work for a Ukraine-based power firm and Chinese language purchasers that Mr. Shapley urged was being channeled by entities that had a presence in Washington and the Los Angeles space.
In mid-2022, Mr. Weiss reached out to the highest federal prosecutor in Washington, Matthew Graves, to ask his workplace to pursue costs and was rebuffed, in line with Mr. Shapley’s testimony. An analogous request to prosecutors within the Central District of California, which incorporates Los Angeles, was additionally rejected, Mr. Shapley testified.
A second former I.R.S. official, who has not been recognized, advised Home Republicans the identical story. That episode was confirmed independently to The New York Instances by an individual with information of the scenario.
Mr. Shapley, who oversaw the company’s function within the investigation of Mr. Biden’s taxes, additionally advised Home committee aides that his criticism of the Justice Division led to him being denied a promotion. In his testimony, he blamed Mr. Weiss for criticizing him to his superiors.
Mr. Weiss denied that cost in a June 30 letter to Consultant Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio and the chairman of the Home Judiciary Committee, saying that he “didn’t retaliate” towards Mr. Shapley.