Written by Hudson Crozier

The scoop: As concerned Republicans sent letters to prosecutor David Weiss about his investigation into Hunter Biden earlier this year, the Department of Justice coordinated his responses, according to newly released emails.

The details: In May, Republicans sent a letter to Weiss asking about the integrity and efficiency of his investigation. Weiss’s emails showed him waiting for a DOJ office in Washington, D.C., to respond. That office then told lawmakers that the DOJ would not answer their questions. Another D.C. office emailed Weiss that it would “take the lead on drafting a response” to a similar letter.

Why it matters: The emails add to recent evidence that Weiss, who is now special counsel on Hunter’s case, was closely supervised and did not work independently as the DOJ has claimed.

• Protection: Weiss’s subservience to Biden’s DOJ allowed the department to obstruct the investigation and protect the president’s son from serious charges, according to IRS whistleblower testimony.

Zoom out: The DOJ is struggling to defend its image amid mounting allegations that it helped spare President Joe Biden and his son from scrutiny for foreign business activity. Attorney General Merrick Garland promoted Weiss to special counsel status this month to make the department’s prosecution of Hunter seem more aggressive. Republicans aren’t buying it and may move to impeach Garland.