{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=860", "\u201cUnelected bureaucrats are still accountable to the American people\u201d: Hern supports subpoena on political interference and preferential treatment in Hunter Biden investigation", "2023-08-21", "2023", "2023-08", "Republican", "House", "OK", "Kevin Hern", "H001082", "hern.house.gov", "hern", "https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "TULSA, OK \u2013 Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released a statement of support following subpoenas issued from the House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Committee on the Judiciary to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) investigators and Biden Administration Department of Justice (DOJ) officials present at or with direct knowledge of a meeting on October 7, 2022, in which now-Special Counsel David Weiss allegedly claimed he was prevented from bringing charges against President Biden\u2019s son, Hunter Biden, for tax crimes.\n\nRep. Hern serves on the Ways and Means Committee.\n\n\u201cEarlier this summer, I heard concerning allegations from whistleblowers at the IRS regarding special treatment given to the President\u2019s son,\u201d said Rep. Hern. \u201cIn the months since, IRS and DOJ officials have refused to comply with our investigation into these allegations. Americans are demanding transparency from their government \u2013 and they deserve the truth. Unelected bureaucrats are still accountable to the American people, just like anyone else in the federal government. These subpoenas are a necessary step towards transparency and a resolution to this investigation.\u201d\n\nAccording to sworn whistleblower testimony, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David Weiss stated during an October 7, 2022, meeting with DOJ and IRS personnel that \u201che is not the deciding person on whether charges are filed\u201d against Hunter Biden and that in multiple instances his efforts to bring charges in multiple jurisdictions were denied. This was documented in an email sent the day of the meeting, and provided to the Ways and Means Committee.\n\nYet Attorney General Merrick Garland previously testified before Congress that Weiss had all the authority necessary to pursue charges and Mr. Weiss told Congress that he had \u201cultimate\u201d authority over the case.\n\nApril 2022 \u2013 Garland testifies before the Senate that U.S. Attorney David Weiss is \u201csupervising the investigation\u201d and \u201cis in charge of that investigation.\u201d He also testifies that \u201cthere will not be interference of any political or improper kind.\u201d\n\nMarch 2023 \u2013 Garland again testifies before a Senate Committee and is asked whether USAO Weiss had authority to bring charges outside of Delaware without Special Counsel status. Garland replies: \u201cThe US Attorney in Delaware has been advised that he has full authority to make those kind[s] of referrals that you are talking about, or bring cases in other jurisdictions if he feels it\u2019s necessary and I will assure that if he does, he will be able to do that...I have promised to ensure that he is able to carry out his investigation and that he be able to run it and if needs to bring it in another jurisdiction he will have full authority to do that.\u201d\n\nJune 7, 2023 \u2013 U.S. Attorney Weiss sends a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan claiming he had full authority over the investigation and to bring charges in the case.\n\nOnly after a sweetheart plea deal fell apart during a hearing before a federal judge in Delaware did AG Garland designate Mr. Weiss as Special Counsel, raising concerns that the Attorney General\u2019s and Mr. Weiss\u2019s statements to Congress were not truthful.\n\nThe subpoenas were sent to the following individuals:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:30:18Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=860"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6424481980502605, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}