- The Florida Republican suggested Johnson direct the House Office of General Counsel to intervene in Biden v. IRS
- Hunter Biden sued the IRS for not doing enough to prevent whistleblowers from disclosing private tax information
GOP firebrand Matt Gaetz wants Speaker Mike Johnson to strengthen protections for two IRS whistleblowers who accused the Justice Department of “slow-moving” the tax investigation into Hunter Biden.
IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley alleged that DOJ interfered in the investigation into the president’s son’s taxes, and Joseph Ziegler said Hunter “received preferential treatment” during the trial.
Hunter’s attorneys are back in court in California on Wednesday as they seek to have nine charges against him for allegedly evading $1.4 million in taxes dropped – which could land him in prison for 17 years.
Gaetz, R-Fla., suggested Johnson direct the House Office of General Counsel to intervene in Hunter’s tax case to “protect the prerogatives of the House of Representatives and protect the rights of all Americans to protect protected make disclosures to Congress. .’
“The interests of the House of Representatives and the legal rights of our whistleblowers are not being zealously defended by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which is defending the lawsuit on behalf of the IRS,” Gaetz wrote in the letter.
IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley claimed the Justice Department was ‘slow’ in its investigation into Hunter’s taxes
‘Congress should have a strong interest in defending the tax whistleblower provision *that it created* at 26 USC 6103(f)(5) (“Whistleblower Disclosure”), which restricts those with access to confidential information about taxpayers can whistle,” Shapley attorney Tristan Leavitt posted on X.
In his lawsuit, Hunter’s attorneys alleged that Ziegler and Shapley “targeted and attempted to embarrass Mr. Biden” by sharing confidential tax information in congressional testimony.
Lawyers representing Hunter Biden will take part in another high-profile courtroom drama in Los Angeles on Wednesday. They are expected to ask a judge to dismiss charges against him for failing to pay more than $1 million in taxes.
His lawyers have launched efforts to dismiss some or all of special counsel David Weiss’ nine charges, and Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi will decide the fate of the case.
The charges stem from what federal prosecutors say was a four-year scheme to skip paying the $1.4 million he owed to the IRS and instead use the money to pursue an “extravagant lifestyle.” funding, which he said also included drugs and alcohol.
IRS whistleblower Joseph Ziegler claimed Hunter ‘received preferential treatment’ during trial
Ziegler, who identifies as a gay Democrat, alleged that Hunter improperly claimed business deductions for a number of personal expenses, including his children’s college tuition, hotel bills and payments to escorts.
Hunter’s lawsuit alleges that the IRS did not do enough to stop the distribution of his personal information. It seeks “compliance with federal tax and privacy laws” and damages of $1,000 for each unauthorized disclosure.
Shapley’s attorney at the time called the lawsuit a “frivolous defamation” intended to “intimidate current and future whistleblowers.”
His attorney said he has not released confidential tax information except through legal whistleblower disclosures.
“Once Congress releases that testimony, he, like every American citizen, has the right to discuss that public information.”