House Panel Stands up for Whistleblowers amidst Hunter’s Lawsuit against IRS

The House Oversight Committee, led by Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., reacted Monday to the news that Hunter Biden is suing the Internal Revenue Service after two agency whistleblowers testified before the committee about attempts to block their investigation of Biden’s taxes.

“Anyone who has read or listened to the two IRS whistleblowers’ testimony knows that they are upstanding, concerned citizens without a political agenda. Both have worked at the IRS for over a decade on some of the biggest tax crime cases in our country’s history,” the committee said in a post on X.

“What they witnessed while working on the Hunter Biden criminal investigation was a ‘corrosion of ethical standards and the abuse of power that threaten our nation.’ They have brought forward serious allegations of politicization and misconduct by [Department of Justice] officials.”

The Associated Press reported that Biden and his attorneys filed a lawsuit against the IRS on Monday for sharing his “personal information” when agents Greg Shapley and Joe Zigler appeared before the panel claiming the IRS, DOJ, and other officials exhibited a pattern of “slow walking” their investigation of tax evasion.

“Mr. Biden is the son of the President of the United States. He has all the same responsibilities as any other American citizen, and the IRS can and should make certain that he abides by those responsibilities,” the AP reported the suit as stating. “Similarly, Mr. Biden has no fewer or lesser rights than any other American citizen, and no government agency or government agent has free reign to violate his rights simply because of who he is.”

According to the report, the suit seeks the agency to “force compliance with federal tax and privacy laws” and damages of $1,000 for “each and every unauthorized disclosure of his tax return information.”

The report said that the investigation has been proceeding for several years and was expected to end with a plea deal last month that blew up at the last minute in court.

The IRS declined the AP’s request for comment.

“In short, these are good people who did everything right to obtain whistleblower protection with the best interest of our country in mind,” the committee’s post said. “Meanwhile, Hunter Biden is a tax cheat who hasn’t paid his fair share – something that [President Joe Biden] lectures everyday Americans about.

“These IRS whistleblowers do not deserve the smear campaign Hunter Biden’s legal team is waging. Witness intimidation is just another dirty tactic by the Hunter Biden legal team. Despite their games, our investigation will continue.”