The Department of Justice has pushed back on two IRS whistleblowers.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is considering launching an impeachment inquiry over Attorney General Merrick Garland's handling of the investigation into President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden.
McCarthy tweeted on Sunday that he wants Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney David Weiss to provide answers to the House Judiciary Committee regarding accusations made by two former IRS agents about Weiss' probe of the younger Biden, on which they worked.
"If the whistleblowers' allegations are true, this will be a significant part of a larger impeachment inquiry into Merrick Garland's weaponization of DOJ," McCarthy wrote. (An inquiry would be a precursor to the House potentially voting on specific articles of impeachment on Garland.)
On Monday, McCarthy said on Fox News: "If it comes true what the IRS whistleblower is saying, we're going to start impeachment inquiries on the attorney general."
One of the whistleblowers, Gary Shapley, has claimed that during an Oct. 7, 2022, meeting at the Delaware U.S. attorney's office, Weiss said he did not have the ability to charge in other districts and unsuccessfully requested special counsel status from the Department of Justice.
Garland refuted that account last week.
Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks during a meeting with all of the U.S. Attorneys in Washington, June 14, 2023.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
"The only person with authority to make somebody a special counsel or refuse to make somebody a special counsel is the attorney general," he said. "Mr. Weiss never made that request to me."
Garland also told ABC News' Alexander Mallin that he would approve of Weiss speaking or testifying whenever he sees fit.
In a June 7 letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, Weiss wrote that Garland had granted him "ultimate authority" over the Hunter Biden investigation, "including responsibility for deciding where, when, and whether to file charges."
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy talks with reporters after votes in the House, at the Capitol in Washington, June 22, 2023.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
On Monday, McCarthy referred on Fox News to a July 6 deadline set by Republicans for Weiss to answer the Judiciary Committee's questions before initiating an impeachment inquiry.
Weiss' office did not respond to a request for comment from ABC News on Monday.
Hunter Biden has agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanors for failing to pay federal income tax in 2017 and 2018. Under the deal, he would also enter into a pretrial diversion agreement to avoid prosecution on a felony gun charge, potentially ending the DOJ's yearslong probe of his conduct.
ABC News' Alexander Mallin contributed to this report.
