House GOP investigates potential DOJ interference in Hunter Biden whistleblower probe.
House Republicans Investigate DOJ’s Potential Interference in Hunter Biden Tax Investigation
House Republicans are currently looking into concerns that the Department of Justice (DOJ) may be impeding an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) regarding whistleblower disclosures related to the tax investigation of Hunter Biden.
Earlier this year, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) revealed whistleblower testimony from Internal Revenue Service (IRS) investigators Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler. They claimed that the DOJ and IRS had intentionally slowed down and protected Hunter Biden during an investigation into unreported foreign income amounting to millions of dollars.
Among other alarming revelations, the whistleblowers stated that they were prevented from executing lawful search warrants due to concerns about the potential political implications of pursuing certain leads.
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The resulting tax charges against Hunter Biden, which consisted of two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay tax, fell significantly short of the more serious felonies initially proposed by prosecutors.
Following their disclosures, the whistleblowers faced immediate retaliation from their superiors, which is illegal under U.S. laws protecting whistleblowers.
However, the Republicans’ request for the DOJ OIG to investigate has yielded limited results, raising concerns among the investigating Republicans that the DOJ may be obstructing the investigation for political reasons.
In an Aug. 22 letter to Inspector General Michael Horowitz (pdf), Chairman Smith, Chairman Comer, and Chairman Jordan sought answers regarding the OIG’s handling of the whistleblower allegations and claims of retaliation.
The Republicans argued that the testimony provided by the whistleblowers “raised serious questions about the federal government’s commitment to evenhanded justice.”
“IRS whistleblowers made protected disclosures to Congress regarding DOJ’s investigation of Hunter Biden,” they wrote. “Specifically, the IRS whistleblowers testified that DOJ’s investigation was purposely slow-walked and subjected to improper and politically motivated interference. Further, the DOJ and IRS have reportedly engaged in unlawful whistleblower retaliation against the IRS employees.”
The Republican chairmen argued that subsequent evidence has continued to support the whistleblowers’ claims.
Chairman Comer, who has been leading a separate investigation into Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, has uncovered $21 million in foreign funds that flowed into the accounts of Hunter Biden, his family members, and his business associates.
According to testimony from Mr. Devon Archer, a business associate of Hunter Biden, then-Vice President Joe Biden played a significant role in facilitating these high-level business connections with influential individuals from China, Russia, Ukraine, and Romania.
On July 26, Hunter Biden appeared in a Delaware district court for a hearing on his plea agreement. The agreement initially involved pleading guilty to two misdemeanor tax crimes and having a felony firearms charge diverted as part of a pretrial agreement.
However, the agreement went beyond that, potentially granting Hunter Biden immunity from prosecution for any tax, gun, or drug crimes committed between 2014 and 2019, which coincided with his involvement in numerous high-level business deals.
During the hearing, prosecutors acknowledged that Hunter Biden could still face further prosecution, including potential violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Concerns about the unusually lenient agreement led the judge to reject it, prompting Attorney General Merrick Garland to elevate U.S. Attorney David Weiss, the lead prosecutor in Hunter Biden’s case, to the status of special counsel.
Possible Political Interference
Republicans have suggested that this development, along with the plea agreement itself, which was reportedly not sought by the U.S. attorney’s office until May 2023, indicates further interference by the DOJ to protect the president’s son.
“The DOJ appears to be continuing to sacrifice its professional responsibility to cover for the President’s son—and perhaps, the President himself,” the legislators wrote.
This conduct raises concerns that the DOJ may be obstructing the OIG’s ability to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
The Republicans have requested an update on the status of the investigation.
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