A federal judge criticized the Justice Department for not allowing attorneys involved in the Hunter Biden investigation to comply with subpoenas issued by House Republicans. The House Judiciary Committee filed a lawsuit seeking to force DOJ lawyers to provide testimony as part of the panel’s impeachment inquiry into President Biden. The GOP-led panel claims that the DOJ has hindered efforts to depose the DOJ Tax Division officials.
District Judge Ana Reyes scolded the Justice Department for not allowing Daly and Morgan to comply with the subpoenas, pointing out the hypocrisy in instructing others to comply with subpoenas while refusing to do so themselves. She mentioned the case of Peter Navarro, who was sent to jail for failing to comply with a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot. Reyes expressed disbelief at the department’s actions, noting that they were making arguments they would not accept from any other litigant.
Reyes suggested that the DOJ’s position of not complying with the subpoenas would be well-received by defense attorneys across the country. The judge asked if the DOJ would allow Daly and Morgan to testify if the committee dropped its insistence that government counsel not be present during the depositions, to which Gilligan did not provide a clear answer. Reyes expressed frustration at the lack of commitment from the DOJ in this matter.
While Reyes indicated that Daly and Morgan should appear before Congress, she also acknowledged that they may have the right to refuse to answer certain questions that would violate privileges they could invoke. The attorneys have been involved in a five-year-long probe into Hunter Biden’s alleged criminal activity, resulting in charges against him. The impeachment inquiry is looking into whether Joe Biden influenced the DOJ’s handling of the probe, which Daly and Morgan could provide insight on.
Reyes ordered representatives from both parties to negotiate for four hours on settling their disagreements out of court. She emphasized that the taxpayers should not have to fund a battle between the executive and legislative branches. The judge indicated that this case could set a bad precedent if taken too far and encouraged both sides to reach a resolution. The dispute revolves around the DOJ’s refusal to comply with subpoenas in the House Judiciary Committee’s impeachment probe related to President Biden’s alleged involvement in Hunter Biden’s business dealings.
