The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has reportedly removed the “entire investigative team” involved in the tax fraud investigation of Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden. The move is believed to be in retaliation against a whistleblower who recently contacted Congress, alleging a cover-up in the case. The whistleblower’s attorneys have informed congressional leaders that the purge was carried out on the orders of the Department of Justice.
According to the attorneys, the whistleblower, who supervised the Hunter Biden probe since early 2020, raised concerns about the investigation being mishandled and claims it is being brushed under the rug. While the first son has not been publicly identified as the subject of the case, congressional sources have confirmed it.
The attorneys argue that the removal of the investigative team appears to be retaliatory and may obstruct a congressional inquiry. They reference IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel’s earlier testimony that there would be no retaliation for whistleblowers. The IRS and the Department of Justice have not yet responded to requests for comment, and Hunter Biden’s legal team and the White House have not provided immediate responses either.
Attorneys representing the whistleblower informed Congress that the removal of the investigative team was ordered by the Department of Justice, as reported by The New York Post. The details surrounding the decision and the specific reasons for the removal remain unclear at this time.
“Today the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Supervisory Special Agent we represent was informed that he and his entire investigative team are being removed from the ongoing and sensitive investigation of the high-profile, controversial subject about which our client sought to make whistleblower disclosures to Congress,” attorneys Mark Lytle and Tristan Leavitt wrote. “He was informed the change was at the request of the Department of Justice.”
“On April 27, 2023, IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel appeared before the House Committee on Ways and Means. He testified: ‘I can say without any hesitation there will be no retaliation for anyone making an allegation or a call to a whistleblower hotline.’ However, this move is clearly retaliatory and may also constitute obstruction of a congressional inquiry,” the lawyers went on.
“Our client has a right to make disclosures to Congress … He is protected by 5 U.S.C. § 2302 from retaliatory personnel actions — including receiving a ‘significant change in duties, responsibilities, or working conditions’ (which this clearly is) because of his disclosures to Congress.”
“Any attempt by any government official to prevent a federal employee from furnishing information to Congress is also a direct violation of longstanding appropriations restriction. Furthermore, 18 U.S.C. § 1505 makes it a crime to obstruct an investigation of Congress,” Lytle and Leavitt continued.
“We respectfully request that you give this matter your prompt attention,” the whistleblower’s team added. “Removing the experienced investigators who have worked this case for years and are now the subject-matter experts is exactly the sort of issue our client intended to blow the whistle on to begin with.”
Hunter Biden, 53, is under investigation for alleged failure to pay taxes on millions of dollars in income, primarily from foreign sources. The whistleblower, along with an unknown number of subordinates, was removed from the investigation around the same time the Justice Department released a report by special counsel John Durham, which outlined bias in the FBI’s investigation of former President Donald Trump’s alleged links to Russia.
The IRS whistleblower recently came forward, seeking to share information about “preferential treatment” in the Hunter Biden case and alleged false testimony to Congress by Attorney General Merrick Garland regarding charging decisions made by Delaware US Attorney David Weiss.
The tax fraud investigation reportedly began in 2018, and there have been indications that a charging decision may be forthcoming. Last month, Hunter Biden’s attorneys met with Justice Department leaders. The investigation has examined potential money laundering, violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and false statements about drug use on a gun purchase form.
House Republicans are conducting their own investigation into President Biden’s family’s overseas dealings, focusing on Hunter Biden and his brother James Biden’s business ventures. They allege that the Biden family members used their connections to the US government to sell access and did not provide legitimate business services.
As the situation unfolds, scrutiny surrounding the Hunter Biden tax fraud probe and its implications for the Biden administration continues to mount.
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Source: Becker News Rephrased By: InfoArmed