Washington: House of Republicans raised unsubstantiated allegations on Wednesday against President Joe Biden over his family’s finances as they were summoned IRS whistleblowers to testify for the first time about claims that the Justice Department improperly interfered with tax investigation into Joe Biden’s son Hunter.
In July 2023, two IRS whistleblowers testified before the House Oversight Committee about alleged bias in the investigation of Hunter Biden’s taxes. The whistleblowers, Greg Shapley and Joe Ziegler, claimed that the investigation was “slow-walked” and that they were blocked from pursuing leads that they thought might implicate Hunter Biden’s father, President Joe Biden.
Shapley, who was the lead IRS agent on the case, said that he felt “handcuffed” during the investigation. He alleged that he was told to “stand down” from pursuing certain leads, and that he was even threatened with retaliation if he did not comply. Ziegler, who was a subordinate of Shapley’s, corroborated Shapley’s allegations. He said that he saw evidence that Hunter Biden had improperly claimed business deductions for personal expenses, but that he was prevented from pursuing this evidence.
The whistleblowers’ testimony has been met with mixed reactions. Some people have accused the IRS of engaging in political interference, while others have defended the agency’s handling of the investigation. The Justice Department has said that it is investigating the whistleblowers’ allegations.
It is still too early to say whether the whistleblowers’ claims will be substantiated. However, their testimony has raised serious concerns about the possibility of bias in the Hunter Biden investigation. If the allegations are true, it would be a serious breach of the IRS’s neutrality and could have implications for the integrity of the US tax system.
Additionly, to the allegations of bias, the whistleblowers also raised concerns about the quality of the IRS’s investigation. They said that the investigation was poorly planned and executed, and that they were not given the resources they needed to do their jobs. They also said that the IRS did not follow up on leads that they thought were important.
The whistleblowers’ testimony has led to calls for a review of the Hunter Biden investigation. The House Oversight Committee has said that it will hold a hearing on the matter, and the Justice Department is also investigating the allegations. It remains to be seen whether the whistleblowers’ claims will be substantiated, but their testimony has raised serious concerns about the possibility of bias and incompetence in the IRS’s investigation.