Graham: US attorney in charge of Hunter probe was briefed on FBI form detailing Joe Biden bribery scheme
Fox News
The U.S. Attorney who led the federal investigation into Hunter Biden was “briefed” on the key FBI form that contained allegations that then-Vice President Joe Biden and a foreign national were engaged in a criminal bribery scheme that involved influence over U.S. policy decisions, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee revealed Wednesday.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent letters to Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Trump-appointed Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss who led the federal investigation into Hunter Biden demanding answers amid allegations from whistleblowers suggesting the probe was slow-walked and influenced by politics.
GRASSLEY, GRAHAM DEMAND FBI TURN OVER KEY DOCUMENT LINKED TO BIDEN ALLEGATIONS
Graham wrote to Garland and Weiss separately, seeking information on the alleged politicization that influenced decisions throughout the Hunter Biden probe.
The document in question is an FBI-generated FD-1023 form. The form, dated June 30, 2020, reflects the FBI’s interview with a “highly credible” confidential source who detailed multiple meetings and conversations he or she had with a top executive of Burisma Holdings over the course of several years, starting in 2015. Hunter Biden sat on the board of Burisma.
In the letter to Weiss, Graham said that he has “been informed that you and your office were briefed on allegations in a FD-1023 form suggesting there may have been phone calls recorded between Hunter Biden and Joe Biden with a senior official at Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company.”
“The FD-1023 in question alleges that the confidential informant told the Department of Justice and FBI that such tapes may exist,” Graham wrote.
Former Attorney General Bill Barr earlier this month said the FD-1023 form had been routed to Weiss. Sources told Fox News Digital that Weiss’s team was briefed on the FD-1023 form in September 2020.
Fox News Digital was briefed on the heavily-redacted form, in which the Burisma executive explained to the confidential source that Burisma had to “pay the Bidens” because Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin was investigating Burisma, and explained how difficult it would be to enter the U.S. market in the midst of that investigation.
According to a source familiar with the document, the Burisma executive told the confidential human source, “$5 million for one Biden, $5 million for the other Biden.”
Sources familiar told Fox News Digital that the confidential human source believes that the $5 million payment to Joe Biden and the $5 million payment to Hunter Biden occurred, based on his or her conversations with the Burisma executive.
The confidential source said the Burisma executive told him he “paid” the Bidens in such a manner “through so many different bank accounts” that investigators would not be able to “unravel this for at least 10 years.”
The document then makes reference to “the Big Guy,” which many believe is a reference to Joe Biden.
A whistleblower first brought Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the existence document. Grassley has seen the unredacted form, and claims that under the redactions is a reference to the Burisma executive saying he kept 17 audio recordings of his conversations with them as an “insurance policy.”
Grassley, earlier this month, said the FD-1023 has a redacted reference that the Burisma executive possesses 15 audio recordings of phone calls between himself and Hunter Biden.
According to Grassley, the FD-1023 also states that the executive possesses two audio recordings of phone calls between himself and then-Vice President Biden.
Graham, in the letter, is asking Weiss to clarify whether he was “in fact briefed on these allegations,” which President Biden has dismissed as “a bunch of malarkey.”
“If yes, what actions were taken to investigate this matter and what was the final disposition?” Graham wrote.
“As I write, I do not know if the allegations are credible, but I know they are serious, and I believe it is incumbent on you to clarify and inform the public,” Graham continued. “I am confident this can be achieved without compromising confidential sources.”
Graham and Grassley last week asked the FBI to turn over an unredacted version of the FD-1023 form. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., had subpoenaed the document, but the FBI did not comply, and instead, brought a redacted version to a secure SCIF on Capitol Hill for committee members to review.
Meanwhile, in his letter to Garland, Graham refers to allegations brought to the House Ways and Means Committee by two IRS whistleblowers, claiming the entire federal investigation into Hunter Biden was influenced by politics.
“To the American people, it appears DOJ had its thumb on the scale of justice,” Graham wrote to the attorney general.
Graham’s letter comes after two IRS whistleblowers said officials at the Justice Department, FBI and IRS interfered with the federal investigation into Hunter Biden. Those whistleblowers said the decisions in the case seemed to be “influenced by politics.”
The whistleblowers testified before the House Ways and Means Committee and alleged that Weiss was “constantly hamstrung, limited, and marginalized by DOJ officials as well as other U.S. Attorneys.” They testified that Weiss had requested to have special counsel authority, but was denied.
“It is imperative these allegations are addressed head-on,” Graham wrote to Garland, questioning whether he was “aware of any request” by Weiss to be designated special counsel.
“And likewise, were you aware of any effort to seek support to bring felony charges in Washington, D.C. or California?” Graham asked, referring to allegations that Weiss sought to bring charges against Hunter Biden in two separate venues. “If such requests were made by U.S. Attorney Weiss and you were not aware, who would be the decision-making authority in such a case?”
The Justice Department has denied the whistleblowers’ claims, with Attorney General Merrick Garland saying Weiss was “given complete authority to make all decisions on his own behalf.”
Graham, in his letter to Weiss, also pressed for clarification on whether he did seek special counsel authority from the Justice Department and whether he was denied.
“Whistleblower allegations indicate that while you were investigating Hunter Biden you requested Special Counsel designation and were denied, and that you sought more serious charges and that attempt was rejected,” Graham wrote to Weiss. “Whistleblowers also indicated that you made efforts to bring charges in Washington, D.C. and California, and were also rejected.”
Graham demanded Weiss provide information regarding the allegations, including the corroborating “contemporaneous e-mail” referring to those sought after charges.
“Please provide information regarding these allegations, as a prompt response is necessary to reassure the public that there is equal justice under the law,” Graham wrote.
The Justice Department said it has received Graham’s letter, but did not comment further.