FIRST ON FOX: The former assistant US attorney who allegedly worked to ‘limit’ questions about Joe Biden denied that politics played a role in the Hunter Biden investigation in his interview with the House Judiciary Committee, according to a transcript reviewed by Fox News Digital.
Former Assistant US Attorney Lesley Wolf, however, testified that she “will not be allowed to answer most of your questions for me” because of the ongoing nature of the federal criminal investigation into the first child.
HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATOR LIMITS QUESTIONS ABOUT ‘DAD,’ ‘BIG GUY’ DESPITE FBI, IRS OBJECTIONS: WHISTLEBLOWER
Wolf, who recently left the Justice Department—a decision that “long predates” the allegations against him, has been subpoenaed by the House Judiciary Committee to appear for a deposition.
Wolf appeared before the House Judiciary Committee last week for a voluntarily transcribed interview after the Justice Department negotiated terms with the panel.
Fox News Digital reviewed a transcript of his interview Thursday night.
After his interview, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said Wolf “refused to answer most of our questions.”
“He refused to answer based on the instructions he was given from the Justice Department,” Jordan said.
IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley, who led the IRS portion of the Hunter Biden probe, and Joseph Ziegler, a special agent within the IRS’ Criminal Investigation Division, alleged political influence surrounding the prosecutorial decisions throughout the Hunter Biden investigation, which began in 2018.
Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, is seen after making a statement at a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol during public testimony before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Shapley said Wolf sought to block investigators from asking questions related to President Biden during the yearlong federal investigation into his son, Hunter Biden.
But during his interview, Wolf testified that “at no time did politics play a role in or in any way affect my work as a federal prosecutor.”
Wolf also said that prosecutorial decisions “are not made in a vacuum and are always guided by the principles of justice and fairness.”
JORDAN SAYS FORMER PROSECUTOR ALLEGEDLY SCUTTLE HUNTER INVESTIGATION ‘MISSED’ ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
“My voluntary appearance here today is not without much frustration and disappointment because as much as I would like to invite the opportunity to explain the decisions made and accurately describe the actions taken, I will not be allowed to answer most of the your questions. for me,” Wolf said. “It should come as no surprise to the committee that as a former DOJ employee, I am highly constrained and must strictly comply with the authorization provided by the Department of Justice, as well as the obligations independently imposed by the Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure. , including rule 6e, and the relevant laws governing the disclosure of tax information.”
Wolf explained that, “in light of the ongoing nature of the investigation,” he is “legally obligated at this time to largely remain silent about those allegations, beyond telling the truth, which, at all times while serving as an AUSA, I will continue to act in accordance with the Justice Manual, DOJ policy directives, and my legal and ethical obligations under the law.”
“I followed the facts where they led and made decisions in the best interest of the investigation,” Wolf said. “These include, but are by no means limited to, rules and regulations governing politically sensitive investigations, election year sensitivities, attorney search warrants, search warrant filter requirements, and rules of professional conduct prohibiting engagement with represented parties.”
But when faced with specific questions from investigators, Wolf repeatedly said he could not answer or discuss “details or specifics about anything” related to the ongoing investigation of Hunter Biden, which is being led by Special Counsel David Weiss, and repeatedly said he was “not authorized” to discuss the matter.
Supervisory IRS Special Agent Gary Shapley (L) and IRS Criminal Investigator Joseph Ziegler are sworn in as they testify at a House Oversight Committee hearing related to the Justice Department’s investigation into Hunter Biden. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Shapley said earlier this year that Wolf had worked to “limit” questioning related to President Biden and apparent references to Biden as “daddy” or “the big guy.”
But according to Fox News Digital’s review of the transcript, investigators did not ask him about that specific allegation.
Shapley and Ziegler also allege that in October 2020, Wolf reviewed an affidavit for a search warrant at Hunter Biden’s residence and “agreed that probable cause was established.” However, Shapley said Wolf ultimately would not allow a physical search warrant on the president’s son.
Shapley said Wolf determined there was “enough probable cause for a physical search warrant there, but the question is whether the juice is worth squeezing.”
Wolf allegedly said that “optics were a driving factor in the decision whether to execute a search warrant,” Shapley said, adding that Wolf agreed that “a lot of evidence in our investigation was found in the former Vice’s guest house President Biden. , but said there was no way to get that approved.”
LESLEY WOLF, PROSECUTOR ACCUSED OF WORKING TO ‘LIMIT’ QUESTIONS ABOUT ‘BIG GUY’ IN HUNTER PROBE, OUTSIDE DOJ
Wolf also allegedly tipped Hunter Biden’s legal team before the planned search of his storage unit.
During his interview, Wolf acknowledged that “Political Figure 1”–a term used in some communications between Hunter Biden investigators–was, in fact, a reference to Then-Vice President Joe Biden .
Wolf was asked about an email exchange with FBI Special Agent Joshua Wilson, in which he said: “There should be nothing about political figure 1 here.”
Wolf said “Political Figure 1” is “described as former Vice President Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., now President Biden,” but did not specifically explain why he gave that directive.
Wolf was asked: “As long as you didn’t — you asked the agents to get political figure 1, there was no political motivation in making that request?”
“I refer you back to my opening statement where I said there is no time that politics plays a role in those decisions.”
Wolf’s testimony came as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden, which was formalized last week.
President Joe Biden returns to the White House on December 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo.; Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., are leading the investigation as the House gathers evidence and considers whether to draft articles of impeachment against President Biden.
The committees are investigating the alleged politicization of the federal probe into Hunter Biden. They are also investigating the Biden family’s foreign business dealings and whether the president was involved in or directly benefited from those ventures.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., left, and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, right. (Getty Images)
President Biden has repeatedly denied having anything to do with his son’s businesses.
Hunter Biden was also subpoenaed as part of the inquiry but declined his subpoena to appear for a deposition to the House Oversight Committee last week. Instead, he made a public statement on Capitol Hill, blasting the Republican impeachment inquiry and saying his father was “not financially involved” in his business dealings.
Comer and Jordan threatened to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress.
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Hunter Biden’s public statement Wednesday came just days after he was indicted in an investigation by Special Counsel David Weiss.
Weiss alleged that Hunter Biden engaged in a “four-year scheme” when the president’s son failed to pay his federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020 while also filing false tax returns. Weiss filed the lawsuits in the US District Court for the Central District of California.
Weiss also sued Hunter Biden on federal gun charges in Delaware. The president’s son has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers are trying to dismiss the charges altogether.
