House Republicans Publish Statements of Whistleblowers Alleging Interference in Hunter Biden Investigation

On Thursday, House Republicans made public the statements from two IRS whistleblowers who suggest that the Justice Department imposed undue influence on their protracted investigation into President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter. The department immediately rejected these allegations.

The House Ways and Means Committee, chaired by Republican Representative Jason Smith, agreed to disclose the congressional testimonies of two IRS agents involved in the federal probe into Hunter Biden’s taxes and international business transactions.

“Whistleblowers convey how the Biden Justice Department intervened and exceeded its authority in a bid to shield Joe Biden’s son by delaying, disclosing, and denying an ongoing probe into alleged tax violations by Hunter Biden,” Smith, from Missouri, told journalists.

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Greg Shapley and another unnamed IRS agent, the two tax bureau employees who gave their testimonies, narrated a sequence of “procrastinating investigative actions” and postponing enforcement measures several months before elections. However, it’s unclear whether the discord they outline equates to an internal disputation on how to conduct the comprehensive investigation or a trend of interference and favoritism. The department’s policy has long cautioned prosecutors about bringing cases with potential political implications around election time, to circumvent any possible effect on the result.

The Justice Department dismissed the whistleblowers’ claims, asserting that the U.S. attorney supervising the Hunter Biden investigation, David Weiss — appointed by former President Donald Trump — maintained full control over the case.

The testimony release followed Hunter Biden’s announcement two days prior that he will plead guilty to minor tax offenses as part of a pact with the Justice Department. The deal, made public on Tuesday, also helps him evade prosecution on a felony charge of illegal firearm possession as a drug user, given his compliance with court-agreed conditions.

Congressional Republicans labeled the plea agreement a “sweetheart deal” for the president’s son and yet another manifestation of a “two-tiered justice system” favoring Democrats. They also committed to persist with their own inquiries into the Biden family and what they view as their attempts to exploit the presidency.

The first IRS whistleblower, Shapley, came forward in April when his lawyer contacted GOP Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, stating that his client had data regarding a “failure to address clear conflicts of interest in the ultimate resolution” of what was then an active criminal investigation concerning Hunter Biden. In a long testimony, Shapley detailed several barriers he and other IRS agents faced while attempting to interview individuals related to the case or issue search warrants.

Shapley’s most notable assertion was that Weiss requested the Justice Department in March 2020 to grant him special counsel status to prosecute the tax cases outside Delaware, including Washington, D.C., and California, but was rejected.

Responding to that assertion, the Justice Department reemphasized that Weiss has “complete authority over this matter, including the power to decide where, when, and whether to press charges as he sees fit. He requires no further approval to do so.”

The second IRS whistleblower, who requested anonymity, expressed his continued dissatisfaction with the handling of the Hunter Biden case, tracing back to the Trump administration under Attorney General William Barr. He began investigating Hunter Biden in 2015, delving extensively into his personal life and financial dealings.

He stated that he was withdrawn from the investigation in October 2022, with the decision communicated by IRS officials. However, he suspects his removal

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