The FBI told a supervisory agent investigating Hunter Biden to duck GOP House Oversight Committee questions about the “ongoing” criminal case involving Hunter, according to a letter obtained by the New York Post.
FBI general counsel Jason Jones sent a letter to a supervisory agent warning him to decline to respond to questions by House Oversight Committee lawmakers just days before the agent was set to testify.
The name of the supervisory agent was redacted.
The New York Post reported:
The FBI warned a supervisory agent who investigated Hunter Biden that he was expected to “decline to respond” to House Oversight Committee questions about the “ongoing” case involving the first son, a bombshell letter obtained by The Post shows.
FBI general counsel Jason Jones sent the letter Sunday afternoon, just hours before the agent was set to testify — even though a source tells The Post that the FBI knew of a scheduled Monday deposition for several days.
“[T]he Department expects that you will decline to respond to questions seeking non-public information likely covered by one or more components of executive privilege or other significant confidentiality interests, in particular information about deliberations or ongoing investigative activity in law enforcement matters,” Jones wrote.
“You should instead refer such questions to the FBI’s Office of Congressional Affairs,” the FBI lawyer went on.
“Consistent with longstanding practice, this will afford the Department the full opportunity to consider particular questions and possible accommodations that may fulfill the Committee’s legitimate need for information while protecting Executive Branch confidentiality interests.”
“Specifically, the Committee has stated an interest in what the Committee has described to you as certain events that took place in December 2020 as part of this investigation. As the Department recently emphasized when affirming that U.S. Attorney David Weiss will appear before the House Committee on the Judiciary ‘at an appropriate time, consistent with the law and Department policy,’ the Department’s longstanding policy is to seek ‘wherever possible to provide information about closed, rather than open, matters.’”
Jones added: “Department officials, including those who have left the Department, are obligated to protect non-public information they learned in the course of their work. Such information could be subject to various privileges, including law enforcement, deliberative process, attorney work product, and attorney-client privileges, and privacy interests. Current and former Department officials also must protect classified information, sources and methods, and grand jury information protected by Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e).”
Oversight Committee Republicans on Monday said a former FBI Supervisory Agent confirmed key portions of the IRS whistleblowers’ testimony.
Federal agents were told not to approach Hunter Biden!
The Biden transition team was TIPPED OFF about the planned Hunter Biden interview.
Hunter Biden was given a sweetheart deal by his father’s corrupt Justice Department after a 5-year mop-up operation disguised as an investigation.
“Today, our committee staff conducted a transcribed interview with a former FBI supervisory special agent assigned to the FBI’s Wilmington office and the Biden criminal investigation.” Oversight Chairman James Comer said.
Below are key takeaways from today’s transcribed interview of a former FBI supervisory special agent.
- As part of the criminal investigation into Hunter Biden, there were multiple witness interviews planned for December 8, 2020. IRS Supervisory Special Agent Gary Shapley and the former FBI supervisory special agent were assigned to interview Hunter Biden.
- On the evening of December 7, 2020, Shapley and the FBI supervisory special agent learned that FBI headquarters had notified Secret Service headquarters about the planned interview with Hunter Biden. Additionally, they learned the Biden transition team was notified about the planned interview. This was not the original plan by the career agents, which frustrated their investigative efforts because people found out who didn’t need to know.
- On December 8, 2020, Shapley and the FBI supervisory special agent were notified they would not be allowed to approach Hunter Biden’s house and instead would have to wait near his residence until Hunter Biden contacted them.
- The former FBI supervisory special agent told committee investigators he had never been told to wait outside to be contacted by the subject of an investigation.
As a result of these actions, Shapley and the former FBI supervisory special agent never interviewed Hunter Biden.
House Republicans are debating whether to impeach US Attorney General Merrick Garland after Speaker McCarthy floated the idea last month.
