Two whistleblowers, notably “Whistleblower X,” a special agent of the IRS who served 13 years and whose identity will be made public for the very first time at the hearing, and former investigation leader Greg Shapley, who claimed the Justice Department hindered an investigation into Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, will testify to Congress at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.
In an opening statement provided before the hearing, the unnamed official said his intention to present himself as a “whistleblower compelled to disclose the truth” and to shine a sunlight on “the shadow that looms over our federal legal system.”
“I have witnessed the corrosion of ethical standards and the abuse of power that threaten our nation. It is within this context that I have chosen to shed light on these actions and expose those responsible. I recognize that while I was present at the start of this investigation and was closely involved with the investigation for roughly five years — that I am just a part of the story,” the statement went on. “My aim is to address systemic problems that have allowed misconduct to flourish. It is not a call for blame but a call for accountability and reform.”
“Transparency is the foundation of our democracy,” the agent will declare during his testimony. “Without it, people lose their trust in the institutions and the bonds that tie the fabric of our nation start to fray. The American people deserve to know the truth no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient it may be for either political party.”
According to the whistleblowers, there was an established trend of “slow-walking investigative steps” into Hunter Biden, including directives not to communicate with him at his home, informing Hunter and Joe Biden’s staff about the inquiries, and postponing enforcement actions in the period leading up to the 2020 election.
On Wednesday, the heads of the House Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, and Ways and Means committees will come together to welcome the IRS whistleblowers for a hearing that is sure to be explosive.
We'll hear from the IRS whistleblowers today about the DOJ's two-tiered system of justice.
It's clear: If your last name is Biden, you get a free pass.
To what lengths did the FBI and DOJ go to cover for such blatant corruption? https://t.co/0VhaVK3DAv
— Rep. Pat Fallon (@RepPatFallon) July 19, 2023
The federal investigation into Hunter Biden’s tax and firearms charges was given to the two IRS agents. In a generous settlement with federal prosecutors, Biden ultimately admitted guilt to the misdemeanor tax crimes, drawing outrage from Republican lawmakers. The Justice Department was “unable” to uncover any proof of criminal activity, so House Republicans are now looking into the president and his family.
The Biden family has been playing the game with a different set of rules.
TODAY two IRS whistleblowers will testify before @GOPoversight to discuss our federal government's unequal application of the law for the Biden family in their criminal investigation.
Tune in.
— Congressman Russell Fry (@RepRussellFry) July 19, 2023
The Justice Department’s case against Hunter was the subject of a congressional investigation that was started last month, a few days after the announcement of Biden’s plea agreement.
The House Ways and Means Committee earlier decided to make the hundreds of pages of IRS officials’ testimony available to the public. The agents said that their investigation was hampered by a number of obstacles they encountered while working on the case, such as attempting to speak with potential witnesses or get warrants for searches.
In one particular instance, Shapley detailed IRS officials’ attempts to carry out a search warrant at a Virginia storage facility where the younger Biden’s records were kept. According to him, the tip-off from the case’s assistant U.S. attorney to Hunter Biden’s attorneys damaged “our chance to get to evidence before being destroyed, manipulated, or concealed.”
Additionally, according to Shapley, the federal prosecutor who oversaw the investigation into Hunter Biden, U.S. Attorney David Weiss, requested special counsel status in order to pursue the tax prosecutions to states other than Delaware, such as California and Washington, D.C.
Shapley asserts Weiss’ request was turned down, although both Weiss and the Justice Department rejected the allegations. Weiss had “full authority” over the case, according to them, and never attempted to file charges in other jurisdictions.
🚨🚨🚨
The FBI warned a former supervisory agent who investigated Hunter Biden that he was expected to “𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝” to @GOPoversight questions.
FBI general counsel Jason Jones sent the letter the night before this former agent was set to testify. https://t.co/pWLLv9GEiy
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) July 18, 2023
The second IRS informant claimed to have begun the Hunter probe in 2015 and expressed ongoing dissatisfaction with how the issue was handled, even by those in the Trump administration, especially William Barr who was the U.S. Attorney General at the time.
He claimed that when he tried to probe extensively into Hunter’s background and financial matters, he started to run against obstacles. The case’s other agents have not yet expressed a willingness to testify.
Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, James Comer, R-Kentucky, and Jason Smith, R-Missouri, the three heads of the committees, have all asserted that the Justice Department is replete with political bias and influence.
Additionally, they have referred to Hunter Biden’s plea bargain with the prosecution to avoid possible jail time as a “sweetheart deal.”
Top Justice Department leaders have offered a few details that support parts of the whistleblowers’ assertions, but they have mostly refuted both those claims and those made by Republican lawmakers.
Government attorneys and investigators, according to the officials, frequently come to differing judgments about how to handle an investigation. Additionally, they have emphasized the unique circumstances surrounding the investigation into the son of a prominent presidential candidate. Additionally, according to them, Department policy cautions prosecutors to exercise caution when filing cases with potential political undertones, particularly close to an election to prevent any potential effect on the result.
What is President Biden hiding? pic.twitter.com/KIuR8jVVwy
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) July 18, 2023
The Justice Department has been supported by House Democrats, who note that Weiss was chosen by Trump and that his Justice Department was also responsible for starting the probe into Hunter. After “winning” the presidency, Biden continued to employ Weiss on the case.
