IRS Whistleblowers Expose DOJ Obstruction of Weiss Probe

IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joe Ziegler alleged in a hearing Wednesday that President Joe Biden's Justice Department effectively obstructed and minimized its criminal investigation into Hunter Biden's tax crimes.

When they recommended felony and misdemeanor charges to U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, the charges were "slow-walked" by the Biden DOJ, allowing the statute of limitations to expire and ultimately leaving just a "sweetheart" plea deal on a misdemeanor.

"I thought that felony charges were proven," Shapley told Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, during questioning. "In this case, the prosecutors again and again agreed with that assessment. And United States Attorney Weiss also agreed with these, because he went to the D.C. U.S. attorney to ask him to partner.

"You don't ask someone to partner with you if you don't yourself agree with those charges. And when he got denied that, he requested special authority and was declined, as he said in the Oct. 7, 2022 meeting."

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, condemned Weiss' June pivot after Shapley's whistleblower allegations against the Biden DOJ obstruction came forward.

"So June 17th, he says, 'I'm the boss; I can do whatever I darn well want, file it wherever I want,'" Jordan said in his examination of Shapley, Ziegler's supervisor in the Hunter Biden criminal tax investigation. "And then June 30th, he says, 'No, I can't.'

"What happened in between those two events? Your testimony goes public.

"He goes, 'Oh, my goodness, I got to change my story because now the truth is coming out.' And it sounds like in this investigation to me, Mr. Shapley, that the prosecutors, and investigators were in agreement for most of the investigation," Jordan said.

Shapley also noted Weiss' story has changed due to a diminishing authority over the charges against Hunter Biden, the president's son.

"I don't know what happened at internal Department of Justice, but what I can say is that the story has been changing from Department of Justice and U.S. attorney David Weiss. And I think the only person that's really had any documents have been corroborated are my own," Shapley responded to Jordan.

Jordan replied that it is "common sense" to see what happened, even if the Biden DOJ is not being transparent or honest. Jordan pointed to Weiss' comments in a letter to Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

"I think it's obvious — anyone with common sense can see what happened — because he said in Mr. Graham's letter," Jordan said, "he said, 'I had discussions with main justice.'"

Ziegler, the special agent in charge of the investigation under Shapley, was convinced that not only were the felony sharges for Hunter Biden justified, but they could not be dropped in lieu of a plea deal for a misdemeanor by IRS and DOJ protocol, provided the felony was deemed justified by the criminal division of the IRS.

"While the impression was that the U.S. attorney in Delaware has essentially the powers of
special counsel in this case, free rein to do as needed, as is clearly shown, this was not the case," Ziegler said in his opening statement.

"The U.S. attorney in Delaware in our investigation was constantly hamstrung, limited, and marginalized by DOJ officials as well as other U.S. attorneys."

Ziegler is urging a special counsel to be appointed to take over Weiss' investigation because of the evidence of obstruction by the Biden DOJ.

"I still view that a special counsel for this case would have cut through the toughest problems that continues to make problems for this case," Ziegler said.

"I would ask Congress and the administration, after reviewing the facts, to consider a special counsel for this case as well as consider the appropriateness of this special counsel taking under their authority all the related cases and spin-off investigations that have come forward from this investigation, related cases that I believe are subject to the same problems and difficulties we had."

Also, as whistleblowers being branded as "traitors," Ziegler wants reform to U.S. government whistleblower law.

"Lastly, I would encourage Congress and the administration to consider establishing an official channel for federal investigators to pull the emergency cord and raise the issue of the appointment of a special counsel for consideration by your senior officials," Ziegler concluded. "I do not want my colleagues at the IRS, FBI, and other federal law enforcement agencies to go through my frustrating and disheartening journey.

"I believe having such a path will strengthen the public's confidence in their institutions and the fair and equal treatment of Americans under law."