Lawyers for two IRS whistleblowers who tipped Congress about Hunter Biden’s criminal investigation are calling for an Inspector General investigation of special counsel David Weiss for “withholding and distorting” information, and the Biden family Anxiety is growing at the National Diet Building as investigations into suspicions of conduct and political use are underway. of the Department of Justice.
Empower Oversight, the legal group that represents IRS special agents Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, said in a March 11 federal court filing that Weiss’ team had identified two unnamed federal agents as The lawsuit alleges that the agency intentionally misled the public by suggesting it was investigating a whistleblower for wrongdoing. But the vague reference to a “possible investigation” is a reference to the investigation the whistleblowers have sought, alleging that the Justice Department and IRS are retaliating against them for blowing the whistle.
Mr. Shapley and Mr. Ziegler testified before Congress last year, arguing that political considerations had guided the Justice Department and the Justice Department. Internal Revenue Service This is to loosen up on Hunter Biden’s financial investigation. They are currently under attack from both the defense and the prosecution, said House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.).
IRS Supervisory Special Agent Gary Shapley (left) and IRS Criminal Agent Joseph testify during a House Oversight Committee hearing related to the Justice Department’s Hunter Biden investigation at the U.S. Capitol on July 19, 2023.・Mr. Ziegler takes the oath. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, the brave IRS whistleblowers who disclosed legally protected information to Congress about wrongdoing within the Department of Justice,・I was attacked by Mr. Biden’s legal team.”
Justice Department tax official says Weiss needed departmental approval before filing charges against Hunter Biden: Record
“Special Counsel Weiss participated in this smear campaign by misleading the public into believing that IRS whistleblowers were under investigation, when in fact they were not,” Comer continued. “Special Counsel Weiss has been trying to cover her tracks ever since she was caught trying to give Hunter Biden a plea deal for his girlfriend. This wrongdoing must be held accountable.”
Empower Oversight is calling on two Justice Department agencies, the Office of Inspector General and the Office of Professional Responsibility, to investigate the conduct of Mr. Weiss’s office.
Tristan Leavitt, president of Empower Oversight, said, “Since Shapley opposed the lifting of the statute of limitations on the 2014 tax charges against Hunter Biden a year and a half ago, David Weiss and Gary Shapley have “We continue to retaliate against them,” he told Fox News Digital. “Mr. Weiss subsequently learned from internal IRS communications that Mr. Shapley had informed the IRS chain of command that Weiss’s office was taking a hard line in the Hunter Biden investigation.”
Representatives for the two whistleblowers told the Office of Special Counsel (an independent whistleblower protection agency known as the OSC, not to be confused with Weiss’ office) in a letter this week that the two whistleblowers for the record. The investigators asked for clarification that they were not being investigated.
“Weiss’s reaction is the very reason Shapley filed a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit with the OSC in the first place,” Leavitt continued. “The Department of Justice OIG or OPR should investigate whether Weiss’ office intentionally misled the public in order to further retaliate against IRS whistleblowers.”
Weiss spokeswoman Kim Reeves declined to comment on the matter when contacted by Fox News Digital.
Agent Hunter Biden limits questions about ‘dad’ and ‘big man’ despite FBI, IRS objections: Whistleblower
In 2023, Hunter Biden entered into a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware Weiss. But Mr. Shapley and Mr. Ziegler, who worked on the investigation, submitted new information about the case to the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Oversight Committee. Shortly after, a federal judge rejected the agreement.
Attorney General Merrick Garland then granted Mr. Weiss the status of special prosecutor, allowing him to bring charges outside his jurisdiction. Mr. Weiss secured his indictment on firearms charges in Delaware and a tax evasion case in California.
In February, Hunter Biden’s lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the California tax case, alleging that Shapley and Ziegler made revelations that put political pressure on prosecutors.
A sketch showing Hunter Biden and Judge Mark Scalsi in a federal courthouse in Los Angeles on January 11, 2024. Biden has been charged with tax crimes in an investigation by Special Counsel David Weiss. (Mona Edwards)
A March 11 filing by Weiss’ office in federal court in the Central District of California opposed a motion to dismiss the case and sought to refute the whistleblower’s influence claims. In doing so, it indicated that the whistleblower was under investigation. .
Weiss’ response to the motion to dismiss said Shapley and Ziegler “made unsubstantiated claims that the prosecutor’s decision-making in this investigation was influenced by politics.” It added: “The IRS has taken responsible steps to address the conduct of Mr. Shapley and Mr. Ziegler.” It directs the court to refer to Exhibit 2, which was redacted from the public.
Weissteam describes the compilation of Exhibit 2 as follows: “Here, potential investigations may include allegations of wrongdoing, and if the public is allowed access to these materials, potential investigations may be frustrated and impeded. A potential investigation is underway. ”
On May 14, IRS whistleblower advocates sent a letter to Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz and Office of Professional Responsibility Counsel Jeffrey Ragsdale.
“Mr. Weiss’ office concealed and distorted the significance of the OSC’s investigation into the whistleblower’s own claims that the IRS and Special Counsel Weiss retaliated against him,” the letter to Justice Department internal oversight officials said. “it is written like this. “Rather than acknowledge the fact that the OSC is investigating retaliation against whistleblowers, the Justice Department’s filing falsely suggests to the public that some anonymous agency is investigating whistleblowers’ own conduct. I gave it to
The letter was signed by Leavitt, Empower Oversight founder Jason Foster, and attorneys Mark Lytle and Justin Gelfand.
David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware (Screenshot from Fox News)
That same day, the four signed a longer letter addressed to Karen Gorman, OSC Principal Deputy General Counsel. The letter points out that Exhibit 2’s vague reference to the investigation is the IRS and Department of Justice OSC investigation initiated by Mr. Shapley and Mr. Ziegler. Meanwhile, Weiss’ filing suggested the investigation was targeting Mr. Shapley and Mr. Ziegler.
CIA denies whistleblower’s allegation that IRS ‘petrified’ interview with Hunter Biden ‘sugar brother’
In its letter to Gorman, the OSC said it “should not allow the Department of Justice to mischaracterize your work for the purpose of retaliatory attacks on the reputation of whistleblowers who have done nothing wrong.” Says.
An OSC spokesperson confirmed receipt of the letter to FOX News Digital, but could not confirm or deny the existence of a public investigation.
The OSC is also under scrutiny for other reasons closely related to the case involving President Biden’s son. The president appointed Hampton Dellinger, Hunter Biden’s former law firm colleague, to run the agency. Mr. Dellinger recused himself from the case.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“But it would be wholly inappropriate if the rest of the OSC remained silent while the Biden Justice Department mischaracterized the OSC’s work investigating retaliation against IRS whistleblowers in the Hunter Biden case. ” states the letter to Mr. Gorman. Therefore, we respectfully request that you correct the record as soon as possible. ”
