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EXCLUSIVE: Home Republicans are investigating whether or not the U.S. Workplace of Particular Counsel (OSC) has contributed to the alleged retaliation and “smear marketing campaign” towards IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, who introduced claims of political affect within the Hunter Biden investigation to Congress.
Fox Information Digital has solely obtained a letter penned by Home Speaker Mike Johnson; Home Majority Chief Steve Scalise; Home Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer; Home Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan; and Home Methods and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith to the Workplace of Particular Counsel.
The highest Republican lawmakers are in search of a briefing to find out whether or not there was improper affect surrounding the IRS whistleblowers’ claims pending earlier than the OSC.
“IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler have been wholly constant of their testimony about misconduct and politicization within the Division of Justice’s prison investigation of Hunter Biden,” the Republican leaders stated in a joint-statement to Fox Information Digital. “They did precisely what an honorable authorities worker ought to do: once they witnessed wrongdoing, they reported it responsibly and made legally protected disclosures.”
ADVOCATES FOR IRS WHISTLEBLOWERS ACCUSE SPECIAL COUNSEL WEISS OF RETALIATION, MISLEADING: ‘SMEAR CAMPAIGN’
Supervisory IRS Particular Agent Gary Shapley (L) and IRS Legal Investigator Joseph Ziegler are sworn-in as they testify throughout a Home Oversight Committee listening to associated to the Justice Division’s investigation of Hunter Biden. (Drew Angerer/Getty Pictures)
The lawmakers stated that “due to their bravery and integrity, we’re lastly starting to see steps towards accountability.”
“However this has not come with out nice value to them,” they added. “Mr. Shapley and Ziegler have confronted retaliation for doing the fitting factor.”
IRS WHISTLEBLOWER SHAPLEY SAID HE ‘COULD NO LONGER PURSUE’ HUNTER BIDEN SUGAR BROTHER KEVIN MORRIS DUE TO CIA
“The U.S. Workplace of Particular Counsel, which is tasked with defending whistleblowers, should conduct an neutral investigation of the claims of Mr. Shapley and Ziegler with out improper affect from these in search of to smear these brave people.”
Shapley, who led the IRS’ portion of the Hunter Biden probe, and Ziegler, a 13-year particular agent throughout the IRS’ Legal Investigation Division, have alleged political affect surrounding prosecutorial selections all through the Hunter Biden investigation, which started in 2018.
Shapley has stated selections “at each stage” of the probe “had the impact of benefiting the topic of the investigation.”
Speaker Mike Johnson (Getty Pictures)
And Ziegler has stated that Hunter Biden “ought to have been charged with a tax felony, and never solely the tax misdemeanor cost,” and that communications and textual content messages reviewed by investigators “could also be a contradiction to what President Biden was saying about not being concerned in Hunter’s abroad enterprise dealings.”
Ziegler additionally alleged that federal investigators “didn’t observe the extraordinary course of, slow-walked the investigation, and put in place pointless approvals and roadblocks from successfully and effectively investigating the case,” together with prosecutors blocking sure questioning and interviewing of Hunter Biden’s grownup youngsters.
IRS OFFICIAL SAYS HE WAS FRUSTRATED DOJ DID NOT BRING CHARGES AGAINST HUNTER BIDEN FOR 2014, 2015 TAX YEARS
Fox Information Digital solely obtained the letter they wrote to OSC Appearing Principal Deputy Particular Counsel Karen Gorman, which notifies her that they’re investigating whether or not the OSC “has contributed by motion and/or inaction to retaliation” towards Shapley and Ziegler.
The Home Republican management and committee chairmen requested a briefing to “higher perceive OSC’s conduct and to make sure that there has not been any improper affect on OSC’s investigation.”
Shapley and Ziegler each have whistleblower retaliation claims pending earlier than the OSC.
Home Majority Chief Steve Scalise (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Pictures)
“Particularly, SSA Shapley made protected disclosures concerning the Workplace of the U.S. Legal professional for the District of Delaware, alleging prosecutorial misconduct within the Hunter Biden investigation,” they wrote, including that Shapley alleges that then-U.S. Legal professional, now-Particular Counsel David Weiss “started retaliating towards him in November 2022 upon studying of the disclosure of his Workplace’s wrongdoing.”
The Republicans stated that in March of this 12 months, Weiss filed a redacted doc associated to the whistleblowers with the U.S. District Court docket for the Central District of California.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS REFER HUNTER BIDEN, JAMES BIDEN FOR CRIMINAL PROSECUTION AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY
They famous that “the phrasing of and redactions to the submitting have led to media hypothesis about whether or not the whistleblowers themselves are underneath investigation for wrongdoing,” however stated they’ve obtained info to show that Shapley and Ziegler “will not be underneath investigation.”
Final month, Shapley and Ziegler stated they’d search an inspector basic investigation into Weiss, alleging he “hid and twisted” info – prompting extra angst on Capitol Hill amid inquiries into Biden household conduct and alleged politicization of the Justice Division.
From left, Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., Reps. Jason Smith, R-Mo., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, attend a Home Oversight and Accountability Committee listening to in Rayburn Constructing on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Getty Pictures)
Empower Oversight, the authorized group representing Shapley and Ziegler, alleged that Weiss’ crew – in a March 11 federal court docket submitting – intentionally misled the general public by suggesting an unnamed federal company was investigating the 2 whistleblowers for misconduct. Nonetheless, the obscure reference to the “potential investigation(s)” is a reference to a probe the whistleblowers sought, alleging the Justice Division and IRS have been retaliating towards them for his or her disclosures.
“David Weiss has been retaliating towards Gary Shapley ever since Shapley objected a 12 months and a half in the past to letting the statute of limitations lapse on 2014 felony tax costs towards Hunter Biden,” Tristan Leavitt, president of Empower Oversight, advised Fox Information Digital final month. “Weiss then realized from inside IRS communications that Shapley had been telling his IRS chain of command about Weiss’ workplace pulling punches within the Hunter Biden probe.”
Empower Oversight on the time additionally requested the OSC to make clear for the document that the 2 brokers will not be underneath investigation.
In the meantime, the Home GOP leaders famous that President Biden’s nomination of now-Particular Counsel Hampton Dellinger triggered senators to specific “deep concern” about his means to “pretty” examine the whistleblowers’ claims given his previous work.
Dellinger labored at Boise Schiller legislation agency “with Hunter Biden on numerous Burisma-related issues.”
Dellinger recused himself from the OSC’s investigation associated to whistleblowers’ claims.
OSC didn’t instantly reply to Fox Information Digital’s request for remark.
Hunter Biden was discovered responsible on all counts final week. (AP Photograph/Matt Slocum)
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Weiss indicted Hunter Biden on federal gun costs in Delaware. Hunter Biden was discovered responsible on all counts final week. Hunter Biden had pleaded not responsible.
Weiss additionally charged the primary son with federal tax crimes. That trial is about to start on Sept. 5 with jury choice in California. Hunter Biden pleaded not responsible.
