Senators Oppose Appointment of Hampton Dellinger to Office of Special Counsel
Hampton Dellinger (Senate Judiciary Committee)
Senate Republicans this week called on the White House to withdraw its nomination of Hunter Biden’s former law associate to serve as head of the office that handles federal whistleblower complaints.
The Washington Free Beaconreported last month that President Joe Biden nominated Hampton Dellinger to lead the Office of Special Counsel. Dellinger worked until 2020 at Boies Schiller Flexner, a top Democratic law firm. His stint there overlapped with Hunter Biden’s position as counsel to the firm, where the younger Biden worked on behalf of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma Holdings.
Emails from Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop show that the first son worked closely with Boies Schiller’s crisis management team, of which Dellinger was a member, to craft a public relations and lobbying strategy for Burisma as the Ukrainian firm faced several bribery investigations. Biden and Dellinger exchanged emails and attended a private dinner for the law firm’s crisis management team in 2014, the Free Beacon reported.
Republicans say that relationship raises “serious” conflict-of-interest concerns about Dellinger, who serves as head of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Policy.
“Put simply, Mr. Dellinger’s connection to the Hunter Biden Burisma matter gives us serious pause about his nomination to be Special Counsel,” Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), Ted Cruz (Texas), Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Tom Cotton (Ark.), and John Cornyn (Texas) wrote in a letter to President Biden.
The senators noted that Dellinger, if confirmed, would be in charge of investigating allegations of retaliation against federal whistleblowers. At least two IRS investigators have filed whistleblower complaints regarding the Justice Department’s handling of its investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes and his foreign business dealings.
The whistleblowers, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, have also accused IRS and Justice Department officials of retaliating against them for expressing concerns about the probe. In July, Grassley called on the current head of the Office of Special Counsel, Henry Kerner, to investigate the alleged retaliation against Shapley and Ziegler.
In their letter, the Republicans urged Biden to withdraw Dellinger’s nomination and find a nominee who is ”free from even the appearance of a conflict of interest.”
“Mr. Dellinger’s reported connection with Hunter Biden and the Burisma matter creates significant doubt that he can carry out his duty to safeguard the IRS whistleblowers, who are critical in shedding light on the two-tiered system of justice perpetrated under your watch,” the senators wrote.
Republicans have investigated whether Joe Biden, as vice president, pulled strings on behalf of Burisma Holdings to help his son. Hunter Biden was tapped in April 2014 to serve on Burisma’s board of directors.
Shapley and Ziegler, the IRS investigators, have alleged that Hunter Biden failed to pay taxes on his income from Burisma in 2014 and 2015. An unidentified FBI whistleblower provided Senate Republicans with an FBI memo that alleges the owner of Burisma discussed paying bribes to Joe and Hunter Biden to shut down corruption investigations against his firm.
The White House, which did not respond to a request for comment, has vigorously denied that Joe Biden accepted bribes from Burisma or intervened to help the company on behalf of his son.
How does the opposition from Senate Republicans potentially impact Hampton Dellinger’s appointment as the head of the Office of Special Counsel
Senators Oppose Appointment of Hampton Dellinger to Office of Special Counsel
Senate Republicans this week called on the White House to withdraw its nomination of Hampton Dellinger as the head of the Office of Special Counsel, the office responsible for handling federal whistleblower complaints. Dellinger, a former law associate of Hunter Biden, was nominated by President Joe Biden to lead the office.
According to the Washington Free Beacon, Dellinger worked at Boies Schiller Flexner, a top Democratic law firm, until 2020. During his time at the firm, he worked closely with Hunter Biden, who was serving as counsel to the firm. The two collaborated on a public relations and lobbying strategy for Ukrainian energy firm Burisma Holdings, which was facing several bribery investigations.
Emails retrieved from Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop revealed his close association with Dellinger and the crisis management team at Boies Schiller. This relationship has raised concerns among Republicans, who argue that it presents a significant conflict of interest. Dellinger currently serves as the head of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Policy.
In a letter addressed to President Biden, Republican Senators Marsha Blackburn, Ted Cruz, Chuck Grassley, Tom Cotton, and John Cornyn expressed their reservations about Dellinger’s nomination. They emphasized that as the head of the Office of Special Counsel, Dellinger would be responsible for investigating allegations of retaliation against federal whistleblowers. Given the potential conflict of interest, the senators urged Biden to withdraw Dellinger’s nomination and select a candidate who is “free from even the appearance of a conflict of interest.”
The senators also highlighted the complaints filed by two IRS investigators, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, who have alleged retaliation and mishandling of the investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes and foreign business dealings. Grassley, in particular, had previously called for an investigation into the alleged retaliation against these whistleblowers.
In their letter, the senators expressed doubts about Dellinger’s ability to safeguard the rights of whistleblowers, considering his reported connection with Hunter Biden and the Burisma matter. They insisted that it is crucial to have a nominee who can fulfill their duty without any doubt about their impartiality.
Republicans have long been investigating allegations that Joe Biden, during his time as vice president, used his influence to benefit Burisma Holdings and his son. Shapley and Ziegler have accused Hunter Biden of failing to pay taxes on his income from Burisma and have provided an FBI memo alleging discussions of bribes involving the Bidens.
The White House has vigorously denied these allegations, stating that Joe Biden did not accept bribes from Burisma or intervene on behalf of the company due to his son’s involvement.
As of now, the White House has not responded to the senators’ letter or made any public statement regarding Dellinger’s nomination. However, this opposition from Senate Republicans could pose a significant obstacle to Dellinger’s appointment as the head of the Office of Special Counsel.
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