One of Hunter Biden’s remarkable abilities is to act in such a way that leaves egg on the faces of those who support him and his father.
Earlier in the year, in a complete reversal of how they were treated under Trump, liberals began attacking two IRS whistleblowers, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler. The pair went to Congress, claiming that the tax collecting agency was treating the son of the president with kid gloves despite committing obvious tax fraud.
How the media frames whistleblowers against Trump vs. whistleblowers against the Bidens. pic.twitter.com/GXKC4nEICf
— MAZE (@mazemoore) December 8, 2023
Getting cover from the media, Hunter then went on to implement his plan for “defense,” suing the IRS for the agents going to Congress and creating what was labeled a “smear campaign” against Shapley and Ziegler.
The Wall Street Journal wrote in July, “Hunter Biden has adopted a legal strategy of threats and character assassination. It was on display in his legal team’s recent letter to House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith. The 10-page screed was a broad condemnation of the committee’s decision to release the interviews of two Internal Revenue Service whistleblowers who worked the Hunter investigation and claim irregularities in the process that produced Hunter’s recent plea deal. Hunter lawyer Abbe Lowell complained the release violated the “spirit” of “tax laws” that protect “private” taxpayer information. That letter should have come from Donald Trump’s lawyers to House Democrats, who in December set a precedent by voting to release Mr. Trump’s returns.
The real targets of Mr. Lowell’s polemic were the whistleblowers themselves, and the letter is filled with inaccuracy and innuendo. Just one example: Mr. Lowell insinuates the whistleblowers might have lied, since he claims the committee “purposely” didn’t issue them the standard warning about falsehoods. This is flatly refuted by the transcripts, which show both men were told upfront that “false testimony” would subject them to “criminal prosecution.”
The letter deploys the standard impugning of motives—suggesting the IRS men are “biased” and “aggrieved” agents turned “self-styled” whistleblowers. It also slings suggestions of illegal behavior. It intimates whistleblower Gary Shapley might have broken a law prohibiting the disclosure of grand-jury material—even though the transcript shows Mr. Shapley explaining that he couldn’t talk about or provide to the committee covered material.
The letter also suggests the whistleblowers might have illegally leaked information about the investigation to the press. It provides one example: An Oct. 6, 2022, Washington Post story said prosecutors thought they had “sufficient evidence” to charge Hunter with tax and gun crimes. Yet the anonymous whistleblower says in his testimony (under penalty of perjury) that he didn’t leak. Mr. Shapley’s lawyers noted it was their client who referred that leak to two inspectors general. If that isn’t enough, Mr. Shapley filed an affidavit to the committee declaring he isn’t the leaker and releasing the Post from any obligation to maintain his confidentiality if he is.”
Now, Hunter’s “sweetheart deal” with his father’s Department of Justice can no longer protect him, and he’s been charged with nine counts of federal charges related to tax fraud.
The two whistleblowers say they feel entirely vindicated.
“Eight months ago we did something ordinary people don’t do: we risked our careers and reputations to bring the truth out of the shadows and into the light,” Shapley and Ziegler said in a joint-statement. “We were moved solely by our consciences, yet faced continual attacks. Nevertheless, in the face of all odds, we never wavered from what we shared with Congress.”
Shapley and Ziegler said the indictment “is a complete vindication of our thorough investigation, and underscores the wide agreement by investigators and prosecutors that the evidence supported charges against Hunter Biden.”
“Yet as we have stated, this is much bigger than our investigation or any one individual: it’s about equal treatment of taxpayers under the law,” they said.
It has not yet been made clear when the president’s son will face arraignment.
[Read More: Megyn Kelly Says What Christie Was Complaining About]
