司法部长梅里克·加兰周五给出了迄今为止最详细、最直接的辩护国税局人员提出的指控潜在的错误和政治影响司法部的调查亨特·拜登的。
加兰第一次彻底驳斥了一个主要的由所谓的告密者提出的指控:特朗普任命的美国司法部长魏红星曾要求被任命为特别顾问，但遭到加兰的拒绝。
“唯一有权任命某人为特别顾问或拒绝任命某人为特别顾问的人是司法部长，”加兰说。"维斯先生从未向我提出过这个要求。"
加兰进一步表示权力级别他选择授权维斯决定提起诉讼，这实际上给了他“比特别律师更大的权力”来起诉亨特·拜登。
加兰还强调，韦斯从未被禁止在特拉华州以外的司法管辖区提起指控——这是国税局代理人提出的另一项指控。
“我不知道怎么可能有人阻止他提起诉讼，因为他有这个权力，但从来没有人说不，”加兰说。
美国广播公司新闻部随后向加兰施压，问他是否会授权韦斯直接回应国税局代理人提出的一些更具体的指控，因为除了本月早些时候发给众议院司法部门的信之外，韦斯几乎拒绝了任何就此事发表评论的请求。
加兰说:“我会支持韦斯先生在他认为合适的时候就这些问题进行解释或作证。”
国会共和党人周四公布了他们与两名国税局举报者的采访记录，这两名举报者在4月份指控司法部在对亨特·拜登税务问题的长达一年的调查中给予他“优惠待遇”。
众议院筹款委员会主席詹森·史密斯将举报人的证词作为拜登政府高级官员阻挠韦斯调查的证据，这种情绪与特朗普任命的人自己的断言不一致，即加兰授予他调查年轻拜登的“最终权力”。
亨特·拜登本周同意对两项与税收有关的轻罪认罪，并达成一项审前转移协议，这将使他能够避免一项重罪枪支指控的起诉，可能会结束DOJ长达数年的调查。
周五，加兰被问及对司法部政治化的指控，这一指控已成为国会共和党人的一个主要竞选议题和主题。
加兰说:“我当然理解一些人选择攻击司法部及其组成部分和雇员的诚信，声称我们没有一视同仁地对待类似的案件。”“这是对一个机构的攻击，这个机构对美国民主至关重要，对美国人民的安全至关重要。没有什么比这更偏离事实了。”
他补充道，“你们都听我说过很多次了，我们的案件是基于事实和法律的。这些不仅仅是文字。这些是我们赖以生存的东西。它们是我们做出这些决定的基础。”
Garland responds to IRS whistleblower allegations in Hunter Biden case
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday gave his most detailed and direct defense yet to allegations raised by IRS agents of potential wrongdoing and political influence in the Justice Department's probe of Hunter Biden.
For the first time, Garland disputed outright one of the main allegations leveled by the purported whistleblowers: that Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney David Weiss had requested to be named a special counsel and was turned down by Garland.
"The only person with authority to make somebody a special counsel or refuse to make somebody a special counsel is the attorney general," Garland said. "Mr. Weiss never made that request to me."
Garland further said that the level of authority he had chosen to grant Weiss in determining to bring charges actually gave him "more authority than the special counsel would have had" to bring a case against Hunter Biden.
Garland also emphasized that Weiss was never prohibited from bringing charges in jurisdictions other than Delaware -- another one of the accusations put forward by the IRS agents.
"I don't know how it would be possible for anybody to block him from bringing a prosecution, given that he has this authority was never told no," Garland said.
ABC News then pressed Garland as to whether he would authorize Weiss to speak directly to some of the more specific allegations put forward by the IRS agents, given Weiss has all but declined any requests to comment on the matter other than his letter sent to House Judiciary earlier this month.
"I would support Mr. Weiss explaining or testifying on these matters when he deems it appropriate," Garland said.
Congressional Republicans on Thursday released transcripts of their interviews with the two IRS whistleblowers who in April accused the Justice Department of granting Hunter Biden "preferential treatment" during its yearslong probe of his tax affairs.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith promoted the whistleblowers' testimony as evidence that senior Biden administration officials stymied Weiss' investigation -- a sentiment at odds with the Trump appointee's own affirmation that Garland granted him "ultimate authority" to investigate the younger Biden.
Hunter Biden this week agreed to plead guilty to a pair of tax-related misdemeanors and enter into a pretrial diversion agreement that would enable him to avoid prosecution on one felony gun charge, potentially ending the DOJ's yearslong probe.
Garland of Friday was asked about allegations of the Justice Department's politicization becoming a major campaign issue and theme among Republicans in Congress.
"I certainly understand that some have chosen to attack the integrity of the Justice Department and its components and its employees by claiming that we do not treat like cases alike," Garland said. "This constitutes an attack on an institution that is essential to American democracy, and essential to the safety of the American people. Nothing could be further from the truth."
He added, "You've all heard me say many times that we make our cases based on the facts and the law. These are not just words. These are what we live by. They're the foundation of the way we make these decisions. "
