WASHINGTON — House Republicans are chasing a brand new lead of their impeachment inquiry towards President Joe Biden, sending official calls for for details about how the Justice Department dealt with a federal prisoner’s requests for house confinement.
Impeachment investigators interviewed Jason Galanis final month at a federal jail in Alabama, the place Galanis, who claimed to have been a enterprise accomplice of Hunter Biden’s, is serving a 14-year sentence for his roles in two multimillion-dollar fraud schemes.
Galanis claimed through the interview that his request for house confinement final yr had been rejected to be able to forestall him from speaking to Republicans trying to find proof of Joe Biden’s involvement in his son’s enterprise offers.
“I’ve been the victim of a pattern of retribution by the Department of Justice in order to prevent my home confinement, which would have allowed full and free access to congressional investigators,” Galanis stated, based on an interview transcript.
Despite the Justice Department granting Republicans’ request for an interview with Galanis and speaking to him for 4 hours, some GOP figures nonetheless assume there’s one thing fishy happening.
In a letter from House Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), House Oversight Committee chair James Comer (R-Ky.) and Judiciary Committee member Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), the three stated they had been investigating Galanis’ allegations “and will take seriously any attempt by [the Bureau of Prisons] to obstruct the Committees’ inquiry, including by retaliating against witnesses.”
The letter was despatched Tuesday to the director of the BOP and the U.S. legal professional’s workplace for the southern district of New York, which prosecuted Galanis.
The U.S. legal professional’s workplace declined to remark. The BOP didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The Galanis testimony and follow-up letter symbolize one of many extra uncommon rabbit holes Republicans have adopted of their quest for incriminating proof towards the president. They have additionally interviewed a New York gallerist who bought work by Hunter Biden and the trustee of a bankrupt well being care firm that after employed the president’s brother. The gallerist and trustee (together with a sequence of different witnesses) have stated they had been unaware of Joe Biden being concerned in his household’s enterprise schemes.
Republicans’ most severe allegation ― that the Bidens solicited bribes from a Ukrainian oligarch ― imploded final month when the Justice Department stated an informant had made them up.
Galanis testified that from 2012 to 2015, he partnered in enterprise with Hunter Biden and Devon Archer, a buddy of Hunter’s, on a scheme to rake in billions from abroad non-public fairness buyers.
“The entire value add of Hunter Biden to our business was his family name and his access to his father, Vice President Joe Biden,” Galanis stated, including that he as soon as witnessed Hunter Biden put his dad on speakerphone at a restaurant within the firm of different enterprise associates.
“The Vice President said, ‘Hello,’ and some pleasantries, ‘Hope you had safe travels,’ and seemed like he wanted to bring the call to an end by saying, ‘Okay, you be good to my boy,’” Galanis stated.
As a part of the enterprise, Galanis went on to say that he “engaged in unlawful conduct” and was despatched to jail. In 2016, the Justice Department introduced prices towards Galanis, Archer and 5 others for defrauding a Native American tribe and pension fund managers in a self-enrichment scheme. Though the defendants used Hunter Biden’s well-known final title to promote their plans, prosecutors didn’t press prices towards him. His legal professionals have stated he wasn’t concerned.
In an interview final yr, Archer instructed lawmakers that Hunter Biden put his father on speakerphone repeatedly within the firm of shoppers, however the president solely supplied pleasantries and commentary on the climate — basically the identical factor Galanis stated he witnessed. Archer stated the elder Biden wasn’t concerned of their work and that he was unaware of Joe Biden taking any motion as a authorities official to profit his son.
In his personal deposition final week, Hunter Biden stated he didn’t accomplice with Galanis and that he solely knew his title from information studies.
“I think that 10 years ago, for 30 minutes, I was introduced to Jason Galanis, and that’s only ― the only time I ever recall meeting him,” he stated. Republicans didn’t press for extra.
Though he wasn’t charged alongside Galanis and Archer, the Justice Department has charged Hunter Biden with crimes for failing to pay his taxes on time and for illegally proudly owning a firearm in 2018 whereas he was hooked on crack cocaine. Prosecutors have urged they could search extra prices.
Galanis stated that whereas he was in a Florida jail final February, he utilized for house confinement in California and was permitted. However, the approval was reversed in July after Republicans introduced their subpoena for Archer’s testimony. Galanis claimed {that a} former BOP official instructed him prosecutors weighed in on the request, and he stated jail officers supplied shifting justifications after they rejected his appeals. He stated he obtained his present placement in Alabama in August after complaining of persistent sexual harassment from a jail employees member on the facility in Florida.
Although he’s been handled professionally on the Alabama jail, Galanis stated his general expertise makes him suspect his previous affiliation with the president’s son has put a goal on his again.
“From the experiences I’ve had in the criminal justice system, I believe I am putting myself at grave risk within the BOP for providing information into these matters concerning the president and his son,” he stated.
Republicans first requested the BOP for time with Galanis in November, a number of months after his house confinement request had been denied and he had been transferred to Alabama.