House Oversight Chairman Critiques Weiss Report on Hunter Biden

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has expressed strong discontent with Special Counsel David Weiss’ final report regarding his lengthy investigation into Hunter Biden. Comer labelled the 27-page report as “incomplete” and stated that President Biden’s recent pardon of his son contributed significantly to its shortcomings.

Critique of the Investigation’s Integrity

In a statement issued Monday evening following the publication of Weiss’ report, Comer said, “Special Counsel David Weiss just released an incomplete 27-page report because President Joe Biden issued his son an unprecedented pardon.” He argued that this broad pardon precludes any form of accountability for the allegations against Hunter Biden, which he described as part of an “international influence peddling racket” that benefitted from Joe Biden’s political stature.

Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, further criticized the Department of Justice (DOJ), asserting it would never prosecute what he termed the “Biden Crime Family.” He alleged that the House Oversight Committee had uncovered evidence suggesting President Biden was aware of, involved in, and profited from his family’s dubious financial dealings.

Details of the Weiss Report

The Department of Justice released Weiss’ report to Congress on Monday. This document outlines his nearly six-year investigation focused primarily on Hunter Biden’s tax issues and a firearm purchase made in 2018, an act complicated by Hunter’s admitted struggles with addiction, including crack cocaine.

In 2022, Hunter Biden was convicted of three felony firearm offenses and pled guilty to failing to pay over .4 million in taxes from 2016 to 2020.

The President’s Pardon and Its Implications

Throughout the legal turmoil surrounding his son, President Biden had repeatedly stated he would not issue a pardon. However, this position changed last month when he implemented a comprehensive pardon covering any alleged offenses Hunter Biden may have committed from January 1, 2014, to December 1, 2024.

Responding to the report, Comer pointed to whistleblowers from the IRS, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, who have claimed they were stymied in their investigation into Hunter by the higher-ups at the DOJ. He accused the President of using the final weeks of his administration to shield his son from legal repercussions, stating, “Joe Biden will be remembered for using his last few weeks in office to shield his son from the law and protect himself.”

Whistleblower Concerns

The aforementioned whistleblowers voiced their frustrations regarding the integrity of the investigation, stating that the Weiss report leaves numerous questions unanswered. In a message shared by Empower Oversight, the organization representing them, they questioned why they faced retaliation for their disclosures while Hunter Biden did not.

Weiss’s Defense Against Presidential Claims

In his report, Weiss criticized President Biden’s remarks about the investigation being “selective” and “unfair.” He stated, “This statement is gratuitous and wrong,” indicating that while pardons are not uncommon among presidents, disparaging public servants at the DOJ based on unfounded claims is inappropriate.

The Tax Evasion Findings

Weiss’ findings made clear that Hunter Biden’s struggles with addiction do not excuse his failure to fulfill tax obligations. The report indicated that Hunter, a trained lawyer and businessman, knowingly neglected to pay taxes on more than million in income from 2016 to 2020, which included lucrative contracts based on his last name and connections.

Weiss highlighted that Hunter Biden “spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills” and described his actions regarding tax filings as deliberate attempts to underreport income and evade tax responsibilities.

Reactions and Next Steps

Fox News Digital reached out for comments from the White House regarding the report and Comer’s reactions but received no immediate response. Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, remarked that Weiss’s report failed to address major questions that emerged during the seven-year investigation and accused the Special Counsel of ignoring his attempt to resolve the case earlier with lesser charges.

Lowell further criticized Weiss for allegedly pursuing baseless conspiracy theories against his client that prolonged the investigation and wasted taxpayer resources.

Conclusion

The fallout from Weiss’s report and the surrounding implications of President Biden’s pardon on Hunter remain subjects of heated debate. As investigations and public scrutiny continue, many observers are calling for clarity and accountability regarding the ongoing allegations against the Biden family and the intersection of politics and justice.