Two whistleblowers from the IRS, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, claim they were stopped from probing President Joe Biden during an investigation into his son, Hunter.
In a conversation with Catherine Herridge, they suggested the IRS overlooks actions of influential figures, whom they call “sensitive persons.”
Ziegler mentioned that investigators were specifically advised against questioning “the big guy,” referring to Joe Biden.
They asserted that despite having knowledge about Hunter’s laptop being legitimate, the IRS, FBI, and DOJ didn’t permit investigations.
“There were a lot of overt investigative steps that we were not allowed to take because we had an upcoming election,” Ziegler stated.
The duo feels penalized for revealing what they see as biased treatment of Hunter Biden by the IRS.
Shapley commented, “The IRS just has a smothering blanket on me hoping that I quit, that they find some way to terminate me or commit suicide or something.”
On Ziegler’s end, the IRS agent feels he’s battling a “machine” with ample resources to counter him.
Despite these challenges, both expressed relief as Hunter eventually confessed to tax crimes he was charged with.
An email from their supervisor after Hunter’s guilty plea praised their efforts, though Shapley viewed it as a mere formality.
“Those are words that are not supported by the actions of the agency” he told the outlet.
Previously, they reported to Congress that investigations into Hunter faced delays, even under the Trump administration before Biden’s 2020 win.
Shapley alleged the DOJ stalled the tax probe, and Ziegler said Hunter was favored in the process.
Shapley detailed that U.S. Attorney David Weiss sought special counsel status to address charges outside Delaware, like in D.C. and California, but was rejected. Weiss and the DOJ refuted this, asserting he had full jurisdiction.
Hunter filed a lawsuit against the IRS, accusing Shapley and Ziegler of defamation, which they asked a judge to dismiss in May. Shapley’s claims first surfaced in a CBS News interview in 2023.
