Two IRS whistleblowers allege widespread misconduct, including interference with the Hunter Biden tax investigation, according to the Republican chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and newly released transcripts of interviews with the whistleblowers.
Hunter Biden agreed earlier this week to enter guilty pleas for two misdemeanor tax offenses related to his failure to pay tax on income exceeding $3 million.
IRS Whistleblowers Claims Interference in Hunter Biden Probe
He will avoid full prosecution on a distinct gun possession charge as part of an agreement with Delaware US Attorney David Weiss, who was appointed by then-President Donald Trump and retained by the current administration to continue the investigation. A Delaware magistrate must approve the agreement at a hearing scheduled for July 26.
Gary Shapley, an IRS whistleblower who recently spoke exclusively to Jim Axelrod of CBS, told congressional investigators that IRS findings supported harsher penalties. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated this week, following the announcement of Biden's plea agreement, that Justice Department leadership had no influence in the prosecuting decision.
Since obtaining the majority in the House, Republican members of Congress have focused their investigative abilities on Hunter Biden's business dealings, some of which date back to when his father was vice president.
Throughout the course of the presidential campaign, Hunter Biden maintained that he was not involved in any of his son's business affairs, and the White House has continued to deny that any connection exists. Per Washington Examiner, another anonymous IRS whistleblower provided testimony that was disclosed by the committee on Thursday.
The actions described by Shapley and the anonymous whistleblower revealed how much more aggressively the Justice Department has moved against former President Donald Trump than against President Joe Biden in the five years since the investigation began, despite the apparent significance of the evidence collected by the IRS and the FBI.
Shapley stated that the investigation into Biden began in November 2018 as a result of an ongoing IRS investigation into a "foreign-based amateur online pornography platform."
The anonymous whistleblower elaborated on the opening of the case, noting that while examining the company's financial records, he became aware of possible illicit activity involving Hunter Biden. The whistleblower claimed that months passed while IRS supervisors and Justice Department officials resisted initiating the case. And when it was inaugurated, both individuals claimed that high-ranking officials attempted to halt its progress.
According to the transcript, Shapley testified that the criminal tax investigation of Hunter Biden, headed by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Delaware, was handled differently than any investigation he had participated in during his 14 years of IRS service. Some decisions appear to have been influenced by politics.
Shapley stated that decisions favorable to Hunter Biden were made "at every juncture" of the multi-year investigation. Under his supervision, the IRS team investigating Hunter Biden signified in March 2020 that they had sufficient probable cause to seek physical search warrants in California, Arkansas, New York, and Washington, D.C., and to interview 15 witnesses.
By June 2020, career Justice Department officials would continue to prohibit "overt investigative actions."
Shapley testified that the IRS team continued to investigate using all available means, including accessing Hunter Biden's iCloud in August 2020. This search yielded messages that investigators "clearly required further investigation."
Hunter Biden Remains Unfazed with Probe
Hunter Biden attended a state dinner hosted by his father, President Joe Biden, and his mother, first lady Jill Biden, in honor of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday.
According to NBC News, the first son attended the dinner with his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden after a court filing disclosed on Tuesday that he had reached a plea agreement. Hunter Biden did not answer a reporter's shouted query about how he felt "after accepting the plea bargain."
According to the White House, 400 guests have been summoned to the state dinner. Numerous Cabinet members and legislators were observed, as well as notable guests such as Apple CEO Tim Cook, tennis legend Billie Jean King, and the designer of the first lady's attire, Ralph Lauren.
Other Biden family members present included Naomi, Hunter Biden's daughter. Following dinner, Grammy-winning violinist and conductor Joshua Bell, a South Asian a cappella ensemble from the University of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Marine Band Chamber Orchestra were scheduled to perform.
After the plea agreement, the president has said very little about the charges against his son. At a Tuesday event where reporters peppered him with queries, he stated, "I am very proud of my son."
Related Article : Hunter Biden Expected To Plead Guilty in Tax, Gun Case; Joe Says He's 'Proud' of His Son
