Two IRS whistleblowers say the Biden Administration interfered with the investigation into First Son Hunter Biden for tax evasion, House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-MO) revealed Thursday at a press event announcing the public release of transcripts of their claims.
Rep. Smith highlighted three major elements of the whistleblowers testimony:
“The federal government is not treating taxpayers equally when enforcing tax laws.
“Whistleblowers claim the Biden Department of Justice is intervening and overstepping when it comes to the investigation of the president’s son.
“And, number three: These whistleblowers report they have faced almost immediate retaliation.”
Even though Hunter Biden personally received $8.3 million from foreign nationals, the IRS refused to conduct a prompt and legitimate investigation – and Biden was ultimately allowed to plea guilty to two tax misdemeanors, which would have been felonies for anyone else - Rep. Smith said.
What’s more, Hunter Biden’s attorneys were fed crucial information about the investigation that did take place, such when they were tipped off that a search of Biden’s storage facility was about to take place, according to the transcripts. This advance notice gave Biden the opportunity to remove anything that was potentially incriminating, Rep. Smith noted.
U.S. Attorney David Weiss was twice denied permission to file charges against Biden, according to the whistleblowers, Rep. Smith reported.
"Whistleblowers describe how the Biden Justice Department intervened and overstepped in a campaign to protect the son of Joe Biden by delaying, divulging, and denying an ongoing investigation into Hunter Biden’s alleged tax crimes," Smith said.
Following the public release of the transcripts, one of the whistleblowers, IRS Supervisory Special Agent Gary Shapley, released a statement through his attorneys. In it, the 14-year IRS veteran says he came forward in order to fulfill his oath of office, despite the great personal cost of doing so:
“It is my understanding that the House Committee on Ways and Means (“Committee”) has now made public the transcript of my May 26, 2023 interview with both its Majority and Minority Staff concerning my supervision of the investigation into Hunter Biden.
“As I have always stated, my goal of coming forward as a whistleblower was to shine a light on conduct that I believed was improper and outside the norm of what I have come to know during my 14 years of experience as an IRS Criminal Investigation Agent. I provided documents and testimony. This has never been about obtaining a specific result. Coming forward has subjected me to intense scrutiny that I would never wish upon any person trying to report wrongdoing. For me this has been about the choice between remaining silent and regretting it for the rest of my life vs. stepping forward and doing what my conscience told me was the right thing to do.
“Now that the Committee has taken the step of releasing my transcript, I believe Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate should come together to examine these facts by interviewing other witnesses and reviewing documents to fully understand what happened during this five-year long investigation. I fulfilled my oath of office by participating in this process, following the rules, and telling the truth to the best of my ability—despite the risks. I offer my cooperation moving forward to ensure similar preferential treatment is not repeated by the Department of Justice or the Internal Revenue Service.”