Hunter Biden special counsel tells Congress, "It wasn't a question of my authority. It was just a question of deciding to move forward."

Washington — Special Counsel David Weiss — the man charged with leading the federal probe into President Joe Biden's son Hunter — told congressional investigators Tuesday that Justice Department officials assured him he would have the necessary authorities to pursue criminal charges against the president's son in any district he saw necessary, but he ultimately did not seek or receive final authorization, according to a transcript of Weiss' testimony reviewed by CBS News. 

Weiss voluntarily agreed to appear before the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee before the submission of his special counsel report — an unusual move during an ongoing investigation— to "address misunderstandings about the scope of my authority" in the Hunter Biden probe.

Throughout his testimony, which occurred behind closed doors and was the product of negotiations between congressional and Justice Department officials, Weiss said he could not answer numerous questions about decisions made over the course of the years-long probe into the president's son, citing federal norms that prevent prosecutors from speaking about investigations before they are completed.