Politics

Hunter Biden’s Attorney Pressed David Weiss On IRS Whistleblowers Right After Special Counsel Appointment

House Oversight Committee Hears Testimony From IRS Whistleblower Gary Shapley

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James Lynch Contributor
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Hunter Biden’s attorney pressed Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss about Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler days after Weiss became special counsel in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) ongoing case against the president’s son, Politico reported.

Abbe Lowell, the attorney representing Hunter Biden, emailed Weiss on Aug. 14, three days after Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Weiss special counsel in the DOJ’s investigation into Biden’s alleged tax and gun crimes, according to documents first reported by Politico. (RELATED: ‘Improper Interference’: Hunter Biden’s Attorney Accuses Republicans Of ‘Manipulation’ In DOJ Investigation)

“I am writing to follow up on the recent call defense counsel had with your Office on July 31, 2023, concerning our ongoing concerns about the consistent and unabated improper disclosures of information about this investigation and its effects on Mr. Biden’s right,” Lowell wrote, according to the documents.

“But what is occurring here is the illegal disclosure of grand jury, tax return, and other confidential investigatory information under the guise of legitimate whistleblower activity, and it is unprecedented,” Lowell added.

He accused IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler of illegally leaking information in their Congressional testimony and nationally televised interviews, according to the documents. Both whistleblowers first came forward to the House Ways and Means Committee and full transcripts of their testimonies were released in late June.

“The testimony of Messrs. Shapley and Ziegler, as well as certain of the exhibits appended thereto, are replete with illegally disclosed grand jury and tax return information, as well as fruits of search warrants that evidently have been sealed by court order, all arising from the Government’s and the grand jury’s investigation of our client,” Lowell asserted, according to the documents. He made similar remarks when he described Shapley and Ziegler’s interviews with CBS News, Fox News, CNN and other news outlets.

Shapley and Ziegler testified publicly in July before the House Ways and Means, Oversight and Judiciary Committees over special treatment Hunter Biden allegedly received during the DOJ investigation. The committees are currently investigating the IRS whistleblower allegations and requested Lowell turn over his communications with the DOJ as part of their probe.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday the three committees would be leading the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden related to Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings and the IRS whistleblower accusations.

The House Oversight Committee released bank records in August showing the Biden family and its associates took more than $20 million worth of payments from Ukrainian, Russian, Chinese, Romanian and Kazakh business associates.

Hunter Biden was indicted Thursday on three gun charges connected to his October 2018 purchase of a Colt Cobra revolver in Delaware. He is facing up to 25 years in prison for the gun offenses. Lowell wrote a letter to House Republicans attacking them for “manipulation” the day his client was indicted.

“These materials show attorneys for the President’s son repeatedly lobbied the Biden Justice Department to initiate retaliatory prosecutions of our client for lawfully making protected whistleblower disclosures,” Shapley’s attorneys said Friday in a press release.

“Hunter Biden’s attorneys have already made this argument to Judge Maryellen Noreika, who reviewed the whistleblower materials and rejected defense counsel’s baseless allegations, including their claims about grand jury secrecy violations.”

Biden pleaded not guilty in July to two tax misdemeanors after Delaware U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika scrutinized an immunity provision in the pretrial diversion agreement tied to his proposed guilty plea.

Noreika’s line of questioning resulted in a disagreement between Biden’s defense counsel and DOJ special attorney Leo Wise and Biden’s plea deal collapsed. Christopher J. Clark, Biden’s defense counsel at the late July court appearance, withdrew from the case in August.

Noreika granted Weiss’ request to withdraw Biden’s tax charges filed shortly after Garland appointed him special counsel. Weiss withdrew the Delaware tax charges to potentially charge Biden in D.C. or the Central District of California.

“IRS Whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler did everything right to obtain protected whistleblower status. They provided documents and testimony that showed not just misconduct and politicization at the Department of Justice, but also evidence from their underlying investigation into Hunter Biden’s potential evasion of taxes on his $8.3 million in income,” the House Oversight Committee said in a public statement.

“They are incredibly brave for coming forward and don’t deserve the smear campaign being waged against them by Abbe Lowell and the rest of the Hunter Biden legal team.”