House Republicans led by Rep. Jim Jordan are calling on an agent in order to investigate claims of government-ordered censorship based on emails found on Biden’s laptop computer, such as allegations that Twitter blocked coverage of 2020 New York Post story related to Biden emails.
FBI agent Lisa Hoke believes prosecutors politicized the Hunter Biden case. Her testimony mirrors similar claims from IRS whistleblowers, sparking renewed calls for impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Merrick Garland.
The Subpoena
House Judiciary Committee attorneys filed a suit on Tuesday against FBI Agent Elvis Chan for refusing to appear with either government counsel or his own counsel present for testimony regarding federal efforts to suppress online speech, alleging they have tried to suppress free speech online. Their complaint filed in US District Court for Washington D.C. alleges Chan is trying to sidestep his subpoena by not appearing under either circumstance.
FBI agents involved in President Joe Biden’s son Hunter’s investigation have reported receiving threats, including an act known as “swatting,” in which someone calls in fake bomb threats or emergency alerts to trigger police to immediately rush to an address. Laura Dehmlow who led the Foreign Influence Task Force prior to 2020 elections reported being threatened herself and her family members during interviews conducted with members of Congress’s Foreign Influence Subcommittee.
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio accused the FBI agents and DOJ of exploiting federal justice system to discriminate against conservatives; however, senior Democratic Representative Jerrold Nadler quickly dismissed these claims as baseless.
The Dispute
Thomas Sobocinski, the FBI agent overseeing the Hunter Biden laptop case team manager, disputed claims by whistleblowers that the Justice Department gave preferential treatment to former president’s son Hunter Biden. When interviewed by House Judiciary and Ways and Means committees, Sobocinski countered testimony by IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley that US Attorney David Weiss would not be “the deciding person” when it came to prosecuting charges in this matter.
Agent Corley also refuted claims that prosecutors in charge of this case were hindered by the Justice Department. He told lawmakers that Elvis Chan, the prosecutor responsible for this investigation, had full freedom to conduct it as promised and did not seek directions from senior officials during his work.
House Judiciary Committee is taking legal action against Chan for defying their subpoena to appear before them and provide testimony regarding federal attempts at suppressing free speech online. They believe it’s unfair and unreasonable for Chan to use constitutional language that permits him to opt-out without being represented by personal counsel as an excuse not to testify before them.
The Trial
Republicans in both houses of Congress are currently scrutinizing the Justice Department’s surveillance powers, using the Hunter Biden case to expose any perceived abuses. If Weiss’ complaint against Weiss is successful, it could undermine her testimony at an upcoming congressional hearing regarding surveillance errors made during the Trump-Russia investigation.
Last November, Weiss insisted in her deposition that she wasn’t the “deciding person whether charges are filed” against Vice President Joe Biden’s son. But the panel’s lawsuit points to evidence of Weiss playing this role – including emails and documents from the FBI San Francisco office that demonstrate otherwise.
The committee asserts that FBI agent Elvis Chan falsified his testimony regarding interactions with Facebook and Twitter officials. Chan worked on the Foreign Influence Task Force at the FBI, and during two sworn depositions denied discussing October 2020 Post stories about Biden laptop with any employees of either Facebook or Twitter; yet according to Missouri and Louisiana state attorneys general’s lawsuit against Chan, Chan shared information during two conference calls shortly after breaking news about them.
The Final Words
As Congress resumes debate on President Joe Biden’s son Hunter, Republican members on the House Judiciary Committee are accusing the Justice Department of politicization in this yearslong case. At issue is an allegation that prosecution of younger Biden was blocked by Obama administration officials.
The panel’s lawsuit against an FBI cybersecurity official who allegedly suppressed social media coverage of the laptop abandoned by former vice president Al Gore’s son has added another twist to their dispute with tech giants, whom Republicans view as suppressing conservative viewpoints and silencing conservative voices.
House lawmakers are pressing a judge to order Justice Department and FBI employees who may possess evidence of wrongdoing in the Biden investigation to be available voluntarily for transcribed interviews that might reveal improper actions taken during that probe. This includes FBI employees who reportedly shared information with Twitter and Facebook to suppress coverage by the New York Post about Biden’s laptop by the New York Post’s journalists. Furthermore, this committee filed a separate lawsuit against Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg seeking communications related to this case.
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