In a transcript obtained by the Associated Press, Deborah J. Solomon, a senior official in the Justice Department’s tax division, said that then-Acting U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss needed approval from her division ahead of bringing criminal charges against Hunter Biden in 2019.
The transcript was part of an internal review conducted by the US Department of Justice Office of Inspector General about the handling of the investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes.
Solomon stated that Weiss’ intention to charge Hunter Biden was not communicated to her office until September of 2019. She noted that Weiss didn’t directly communicate with her office, but instead sent a staff member to provide the notification. Solomon further noted that Weiss was required to “seek approval” from her office before taking any action in the case, as per internal procedures.
Solomon emphasized that Weiss was strongly encouraged to seek approval from the Tax Division before taking any steps towards bringing charges against Hunter Biden. She also stated that it’s standard procedure for criminal matters involving tax violations to receive approval from her division.
Solomon went on to add that the decision to open a criminal investigation into Hunter Biden was ultimately made by Weiss without any input from the Tax Division. She acknowledged that Weiss had the authority to open such an investigation without her office’s approval, but noted that Weiss should have sought advice from the Tax Division before doing so.
