IRS whistleblower opens up on Hunter Biden probe
Gary Shapley tells Bret Baier that U.S. Attorney David Weiss claimed he wasn't calling the shots.
Hunter Biden’s ex-business associate Tony Bobulinski and his lawyers contacted the U.S. attorney leading the investigation into President Biden’s son, offering to testify before the federal grand jury, but "never heard back" from prosecutors, Fox News Digital has learned.
Bobulinski, who worked with Hunter Biden to create the joint-venture SinoHawk Holdings with Chinese energy company CEFC, was interested in providing testimony to the federal grand jury collecting evidence as part of the years-long investigation into the president's son, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.
EXCLUSIVE: HUNTER BIDEN BUSINESS ASSOCIATE'S TEXT MESSAGES INDICATE MEETING WITH JOE BIDEN
But Bobulinski never got that chance.
Tony Bobulinski, a former associate of Hunter Biden, talks with reporters before the presidential debate in Nashville, Tennessee, on Oct. 22, 2020. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The source told Fox News that Bobulinski’s lawyers "reached out" to U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss, and said Bobulinski "was available." The source told Fox News Digital that Bobulinski and his lawyers "never heard back from them."
The source said the lawyers were baffled by the fact that prosecutors never sought Bobulinski's testimony.
Hunter Biden disembarks from Air Force One at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York, on Feb. 4, 2023. (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)
Bobulinski would have been able to provide information about Hunter Biden's business dealings — specifically related to the joint-venture with CEFC, and whether President Biden, himself, was involved.
The information comes after IRS whistleblowers testified that the federal investigation into Hunter Biden was "influenced by politics," and that prosecutorial decisions were made that would benefit the subject — the president's son.
IRS whistleblowers alleged that federal prosecutors avoided questioning certain witnesses, and even sought to limit questioning related to President Biden.
Fox News Digital exclusively reported on text messages dating back to May 2017, showing Bobulinski, a retired lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and the former CEO of SinoHawk Holdings, discussing a meeting with Joe Biden.
The messages seem to indicate that a meeting took place.
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"Mrng plse let me knw if we will do early dinner w your Uncle & dad and where, also for document translation do you want it simple Chinese or traditional?" Bobulinski texted Hunter Biden on May 2, 2017.
Hunter replied: "Dad not in now until 11- let’s me I and Jim meet at 10 at Beverly Hilton where he’s staying."
Later, Bobulinski sent a text to Jim Biden, Joe Biden's brother, on the same day, May 2, 2017, saying: "Great to meet u and spend some time together, please thank Joe for his time, was great to talk thx Tony b."
The following day, May 3, 2017, Bobulinski sent another text to Jim Biden, saying: "Morning, please let me know all set for things this mrng. I don't have credentials to get into Milken so just want to make sure not an issue to get me in, where should we meet this mrng?"
"Milken" was in reference to the 2017 Global Conference, which, in part, was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, according to the program directory.
Joe Biden, on May 3, 2017, spoke at the conference, hosting "A Conversation with the 47th Vice President of the United States Joe Biden."
The alleged meeting between Biden and Bobulinski on May 2, 2017, would have taken place 11 days before a May 13, 2017, email, obtained by Fox News Digital in 2020 and referenced by Shapley in testimony, which included a discussion of "remuneration packages" for six people in a business deal with CEFC. The email appeared to identify Hunter Biden as "Chair / Vice Chair depending on agreement with CEFC," in an apparent reference to now-bankrupt CEFC China Energy Co.
The email includes a note that "Hunter [Biden] has some office expectations he will elaborate." A proposed equity split references "20" for "H" and "10 held by H for the big guy?" with no further details. Bobulinski has repeatedly said "the big guy" was Joe.
IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley testified before the House Ways and Means Committee and referred to that email in testimony. Fox News Digital had first reported on the email in October 2020.
President Biden, left, waves alongside his son Hunter Biden after attending mass at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Johns Island, South Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2022. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)
Shapley, during that point in his testimony, noted that in December 2020, investigators were preparing to interview Hunter Biden business associate Rob Walker.
"Among other things, we wanted to question Walker about an email that said: ‘Ten held by H for the big guy,’" Shapley said. "We had obvious questions like who was H, who the big guy was, and why this percentage was to be held separately with the association hidden."
But Shapley said Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf "interjected and said she did not want to ask about the big guy and stated she did not want to ask questions about ‘dad.’"
It has been reported that Joe Biden was "the big guy" — a term that popped up repeatedly in the context of Hunter's business dealings and the ensuing investigation.
"When multiple people in the room spoke up and objected that we had to ask, she responded, there’s no specific criminality to that line of questioning," Shapley said. "This upset the FBI, too."
Shapley said that "basically everyone in the room except for the prosecutors had a big problem with" not asking questions about President Biden. Shapley said Justice Department investigators were "trying to limit" any questions related to President Biden.
The White House says Biden was "never in business" with his son.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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