In February 2022, Special Counsel David Weiss made a request to the Justice Department for the authority to extend his prosecutorial powers beyond his jurisdiction, particularly in the Hunter Biden case. This information emerged from a transcript of Weiss’ private testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, as reported by the Washington Examiner.
The transcript revealed that the Department of Justice advised Weiss to adhere to a standard procedure, which would take several weeks. Weiss didn’t pursue his request until the next year, despite some members of the committee questioning his authority in the matter.
Weiss emphasized in his testimony that the DOJ’s instruction for him to follow a process was not a refusal of the authority he sought. He quoted the DOJ’s eventual assurance in May 2022, after he completed their prescribed process, granting him the authority he requested. However, Weiss acknowledged that he never acted on this authorization.
He specifically sought “515 Special Attorney authority” in February 2022, which would have allowed him, as the U.S. attorney in Delaware at the time, to prosecute Hunter Biden in jurisdictions outside of his own. Weiss and his team, along with IRS investigators, were considering charges against Hunter Biden for alleged tax offenses in California and Washington, D.C.
Congressman Russell Fry, a Republican from South Carolina, spoke to Newsmax, highlighting the time delay from Weiss’ initial request for special counsel status to the eventual grant of this authority. Fry noted that Weiss requested the status in spring 2022 but was only appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in August 2023. Fry expressed that little new information came out of Weiss’ testimony except for the timeline of his request for and receipt of special counsel status.
