Comer and MTG confront DOJ on whether Hunter Biden violated sex trafficking laws
MTG and Comer say their requests for information have been ignored by the DOJ
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}House Republicans James Comer and Marjorie Taylor Greene sent a letter Friday to the Department of Justice (DOJ) asking whether it is "upholding the rights of victims" amid accusations Hunter Biden may have exploited prostitutes.
The call for an investigation follows years of scandal around racy photos of Hunter Biden on a laptop that was left at a Delaware computer repair shop. IRS whistleblower Joseph Ziegler testified in June the president's son flew a list of women across state lines for sex, potentially violating federal laws meant to combat human trafficking.
The House Oversight Committee, chaired by Comer, wrote to the DOJ's Office for Victims of Crime Director Kristina Rose Friday, saying information regarding the investigation should be sent by Sept. 22.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"These women may be victims under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act and may also be afforded mandatory restitution pursuant to the Mandatory Victim Restitution Act," the letter stated. "In light of DOJ’s refusal to communicate in a meaningful way with the Committee, we have great skepticism that DOJ has been adequately communicating with crime victims."
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House Republicans James Comer and Marjorie Taylor-Greene sent a letter Sept. 8 to the Department of Justice with an inquiry into "whether the Department … is upholding the rights of victims who were sexually exploited" by Hunter Biden. (Drew Angerer/ Anna Moneymaker)
Ziegler, who was investigating Hunter Biden for alleged tax violations, said during another hearing July 19 that certain tax write-offs Hunter made appeared to be related to sex workers. A so-called "golf membership" was also discovered to be for a "sex club."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"DOJ’s decision to ignore the Committee’s request runs afoul of its own policies in the Justice Manual," the letter states. "Unfortunately, DOJ’s leadership continues to apply unwritten exceptions to its own rules and policies when the Bidens are involved."
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The Mann Act is a federal law that combats human trafficking and the interstate transportation of individuals, including women and minors, for immoral and unlawful purposes, such as prostitution or other illegal sexual activities.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Comer and Greene noted the DOJ "failed to respond to the Committee" after its Aug. 25 letter inquiring into the "DOJ’s handling of victims’ rights" was ignored.
"Considering the seriousness of this obstructive behavior, we request information as to whether anyone advised you not to respond to our inquiry, including any Department employee at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware, DOJ Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA), Main Justice, or the White House," Comer and Greene wrote.
President Biden's son Hunter Biden exits the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Delaware July 26, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Greene and Comer want the DOJ to respond whether they "notified [victims] of their statutory rights" in the Hunter Biden investigation, as well as the names of people who may have advised it "not to respond to the Committee’s letter" in July.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The House Republicans' letter was sent as special counsel David Weiss prepares to indict Hunter on gun charges.
"The Speedy Trial Act requires that the Government obtain the return of an indictment by a grand jury by Friday, September 29, 2023, at the earliest," according to court documents filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. "The Government intends to seek the return of an indictment in this case before that date."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A courtroom sketch depicting Hunter Biden in a federal courtroom in Wilmington, Del., July 26, 2023. (William J. Hennessy, Jr.)
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Weiss, the U.S. attorney for Delaware, was designated as special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland last month. The appointment was made specifically to pursue tax fraud charges against the president's son, extending jurisdiction beyond the Mid-Atlantic state. This decision followed the bombshell July court hearing where the Hunter Biden's probation-only plea deal fell apart.
Hunter was expected to plead guilty in July to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax as part of a plea deal to avoid jail time on a felony gun charge. Instead, he pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and one felony gun charge.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.