Special counsel David Weiss will appear before the House Judiciary Committee next month for a transcribed interview, two sources familiar told The Post.
Weiss, who is overseeing the federal probe into first son Hunter Biden, will be interviewed by the panel of lawmakers during a Nov. 7 closed-door session — a rare appearance of a special counsel in front of Congress during an ongoing investigation.
Republican lawmakers probing President Biden’s alleged involvement in his family’s extensive foreign business dealings feared Weiss’ elevation to special counsel in the case in August would hinder congressional investigations into the Biden family.
The House Judiciary Committee, led by speaker-designee Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), is one of three congressional panels leading the impeachment inquiry into the 80-year-old president, which is, in part, seeking to determine whether Biden abused his power and impeded the federal prosecution of his son.
Jordan, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) have sought Weiss’ testimony for months, demanding answers from the Delaware US attorney related to allegations raised by IRS whistleblowers deeply involved in the Hunter Biden case.
IRS Special Agent Gary Shapley and Criminal Investigator Joseph Ziegler have alleged in sworn depositions and in public testimony before Congress that the Hunter Biden investigation was stymied by preferential treatment and the refusal of Biden-appointed US attorneys in Southern California and Washington, DC, to bring Weiss-recommended charges for failure to pay taxes on foreign income.
Weiss announced in June that Hunter would plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax crimes in Delaware and a gun possession felony that would be expunged after two years of probation.
The plea deal fell apart in a Delaware courtroom the following month after being scrutinized by District Judge Maryellen Noreika.
Attorney General Merrick Garland subsequently granted Weiss special counsel authority and Hunter was indicted in September on three felony counts related to the 2018 gun purchase while he was addicted to crack cocaine.
Hunter pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this month.
In July, before Weiss was named special counsel, the Justice Department had agreed to allow the prosecutor to testify before Congress.
“The Department is ready to offer U.S. Attorney Weiss to testify shortly after Congress returns from the August district work period,” read a letter sent by Assistant Attorney General Carlos Felipe Uriarte to Jordan,
Jordan, Comer, and Smith have all threatened to issue subpoenas to compel testimony from Weiss, and other DOJ officials, if they don’t agree to participate in voluntary interviews.