Top Republican Demands IRS Commissioner Explains ‘Retaliation’ Plot That Resulted In Whistleblower’s Entire Hunter Biden Team Being Removed From Investigation
Chairman Jason Smith of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee is demanding an investigation into an alleged IRS “retaliatory plot” that led to an entire investigative division investigating Hunter Biden’s crimes to stop.
IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel told Congress in April that his agency would not retaliate against whistleblowers.
However, Smith is now questioning that promise after it was revealed this week by lawyers for an IRS whistleblower that the agency removed the entire team investigating Hunter Biden’s tax returns “in retaliation against a whistleblower who claimed his colleagues covered up the president.” . son’s financial crimes.’
Smith, R-Mo., sent a letter Tuesday demanding Werfel explain his apparent contradiction.
“I call on Commissioner Werfel to keep his promise, provide information promptly to Congress in response to these allegations, and ensure that no action is taken to defraud those who seek to shed light on government misconduct. discourage,” he said in a statement Tuesday. .
According to a letter from the whistleblower’s attorneys to Smith and other congressional leaders earlier this week, their client’s dismissal orders came from the Justice Department.
Hunter, 53, was spotted attending the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia with his father, President Joe Biden, and First Lady Jill Biden on Monday for his daughter Maisy’s graduation
The whistleblower — who has not been named — has not publicly identified Hunter as the subject of his cover-ups, but congressional sources did.
“Today, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Supervisory Special Agent we represent received word that he and his entire investigative team are being removed from the ongoing and sensitive investigation of the high-profile, controversial subject our client sought to whistleblower about. to Congress,” the letter read on behalf of the whistleblower.
“He was told the change was at the request of the Justice Department,” Mark Lytle and Tristan Leavitt wrote.
The whistleblower — who has not been named — has not publicly identified Hunter as the subject of his cover-ups, but congressional sources have.
Other Republican lawmakers are speaking out, criticizing the IRS for complicity in an alleged “cover-up” scheme.
“The IRS is complicit in covering up Hunter Biden’s tax fraud,” House GOP Speaker Elise Stefanik tweeted Tuesday. “There must be accountability.”
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., also denounced the IRS’s alleged action described in the letter, accusing the federal government of potentially “abusing its power” through revenge “again.” to take on a whistleblower.
Chairman Jason Smith of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee demands an investigation into an alleged IRS ‘retaliatory plot’
Senator Ron Johnson, R-Wis., raised the letter from the whistleblower’s attorney during a separate hearing by the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday.
He called Hunter Biden a “wealthy tax evader,” pointing to the whistleblower’s allegations as another example of the government arming itself to protect Biden’s family.
Hunter, 53, was spotted with his father, President Joe Biden, and First Lady Jill Biden at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia on Monday for his daughter Maisy’s graduation.
He is still waiting to find out if he will be charged with tax fraud as corruption claims pile up against his family.