House Republicans are asking the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) inspector general to clarify the scope of his review into complaints from two IRS whistleblowers about the handling of the Hunter Biden investigation.
The letter, sent by the heads of the House’s Judiciary, Oversight, and Ways and Means committees, comes after Inspector General Michael Horowitz told the three chairs any review would be done alongside the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), a common practice when there is alleged misconduct.
The letter asks Horowitz to “explain whether your office is (1) limited in any way from fully investigating the whistleblowers disclosures” and “if you are limited, how and why your office is limited.”
Horowitz earlier this summer said he “has taken a number of steps to assess the information” provided by IRS investigator Gary Shapley, who alleged that the DOJ slow-walked the investigation into Biden and showed him preferential treatment throughout the process.
He also noted the need to do his work in conjunction with OPR.
“In undertaking this assessment, however, we are mindful of the potential limitation on the [Office of Inspector General’s] jurisdiction as a result of Section 8E(b)(3) of the Inspector General Act, 5 U.S.C. § 413(b)(3), which requires my office to refer to DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) ‘allegations of misconduct involving Department attorneys, investigators, or law enforcement personnel, where the allegations relate to the exercise of the authority of an attorney to investigate, litigate, or provide legal advice,’” Horowitz wrote in the July letter.
“Consistent with our usual practice when such a potential jurisdictional issue arises, we consult with OPR about the matter.”
Horowitz’s office declined to comment on the Monday letter, as did the Justice Department.
The letter is the latest in a series of moves by House Republicans to highlight and push forward their investigation into Hunter Biden as they aim to draw a connection to President Biden.
Public testimony from Shapley and another agent was followed by numerous developments in Hunter Biden’s case, including a plea deal on two tax charges falling apart.
The top prosecutor on the case, U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss, has since asked for and been granted special counsel status in order to potentially bring charges against Biden in California or Washington, D.C. — the two locations where Shapley said investigators found the strongest evidence in the case.