Attorneys for Hunter Biden are set to meet with a career Justice Department official and the U.S. attorney for Delaware next week at the request of the president’s son’s legal team, according to two individuals familiar with the situation.
David Weiss, the U.S. attorney for Delaware, and an appointee of former President Donald Trump, has been overseeing an investigation into the president’s son since at least 2019. The probe has examined possible crimes related to his taxes and making a false statement when purchasing a gun, sources familiar with the investigation previously told CBS News.
Biden has not been charged with any crimes and has denied wrongdoing. His attorney declined to comment.
Attorneys representing clients under federal investigation can request to meet with prosecutors for updates on probes.
Next week’s meeting was first reported by CNN.
The Justice Department declined to comment.
CBS News has learned that the timing of the meeting is not connected to recent allegations from an unnamed IRS criminal supervisory special agent, who claims an investigation — that CBS News has learned involves Hunter Biden — has been hindered by “preferential treatment and politics.” The investigation involves potential tax crimes.
The IRS employee is seeking whistleblower protections from Congress to share the allegations with Congress, according to a letter obtained by CBS News.
Republicans have long raised questions about whether the younger Biden’s foreign business dealings had any influence over his father while he was vice president.
President Biden has long maintained he had no connections to his son’s business dealings and, at the start of his administration, kept on the Trump-appointed Weiss in Delaware to finish the probe into Hunter. Attorney General Merrick Garland has said Weiss is operating with full independence and without interference.
“Since he took office and consistent with his campaign promise that he would restore the independence of the Justice Department when it comes to decision-making in criminal investigations, President Biden has made clear that this matter would be handled independently by the Justice Department, under the leadership of a U.S. Attorney appointed by former President Trump, free from any political interference by the White House,” White House spokesperson Ian Sams said Thursday in a statement. “He has upheld that commitment.”
Earlier this year, Hunter Biden’s legal team began a more aggressive approach to combating his Republican critics, threatening potential litigation and refusing to comply with demands from the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.
— Michael Kaplan, Graham Kates, Jim Axelrod and Andy Bast contributed to this report.
