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WASHINGTON — Home Republicans are chasing a brand new lead of their impeachment inquiry in opposition to President Joe Biden, sending official calls for for details about how the Justice Division 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 in the course of the interview that his request for house confinement final 12 months had been rejected with a view to forestall him from speaking to Republicans looking for 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 mentioned, in line with an interview transcript.
Regardless of the Justice Division granting Republicans’ request for an interview with Galanis and speaking to him for 4 hours, some GOP figures nonetheless suppose there’s one thing fishy occurring.
In a letter from Home Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Home Oversight Committee chair James Comer (R-Ky.) and Judiciary Committee member Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), the three mentioned they have 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. lawyer’s workplace for the southern district of New York, which prosecuted Galanis.
The U.S. lawyer’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 in opposition to the president. They’ve additionally interviewed a New York gallerist who bought work by Hunter Biden and the trustee of a bankrupt well being care firm that when employed the president’s brother. The gallerist and trustee (together with a sequence of different witnesses) have mentioned they have been unaware of Joe Biden being concerned in his household’s enterprise schemes.
Republicans’ most critical allegation ― that the Bidens solicited bribes from a Ukrainian oligarch ― imploded final month when the Justice Division mentioned 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 traders.
“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 mentioned, 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 mentioned.
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 Division introduced fees in opposition to Galanis, Archer and 5 others for defrauding a Native American tribe and pension fund managers in a self-enrichment scheme. Although the defendants used Hunter Biden’s well-known final title to promote their plans, prosecutors didn’t press fees in opposition to him. His attorneys have mentioned he wasn’t concerned.
In an interview final 12 months, Archer informed 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 mentioned he witnessed. Archer mentioned 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 mentioned he didn’t accomplice with Galanis and that he solely knew his title from information experiences.
“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 mentioned. Republicans didn’t press for extra.
Although he wasn’t charged alongside Galanis and Archer, the Justice Division 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 recommended they could search further fees.
Galanis mentioned that whereas he was in a Florida jail final February, he utilized for house confinement in California and was accepted. Nevertheless, the approval was reversed in July after Republicans introduced their subpoena for Archer’s testimony. Galanis claimed {that a} former BOP official informed him prosecutors weighed in on the request, and he mentioned jail officers supplied shifting justifications once they rejected his appeals. He mentioned he acquired his present placement in Alabama in August after complaining of persistent sexual harassment from a jail workers member on the facility in Florida.
Though he’s been handled professionally on the Alabama jail, Galanis mentioned 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 mentioned.
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.
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