The IRS improperly silenced and retaliated against two agents who came forward to testify in 2023 about misconduct in the Hunter Biden tax case, a federal watchdog concluded after a lengthy investigation.
IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler faced illegal gag orders and workplace retaliation for testifying before Congress multiple times, leveling serious allegations of misconduct against the officials tasked with handling the Hunter Biden case, the Office of Special Counsel concluded in December.
“At long last, the career nonpartisan staff at OSC responsible for investigating whistleblower retaliation has finally reached some conclusions. OSC confirmed in a December 30, 2024 email to counsel for the whistleblowers that it found the IRS issued illegal gag orders and improperly removed them from the Hunter Biden investigation as reprisal for their protected disclosures,” Shapley’s attorney Tristan Leavitt wrote in a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa).
The OSC is an independent federal agency primarily responsible for handling whistleblower complaints and other prohibited personnel practices. Leavitt said it will not be providing the whistleblowers a copy of its final report, which was completed in January.
National Review has reached out to the OSC and IRS for comment.
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