WASHINGTON – A whistleblower at the Internal Revenue Service, which is investigating Hunter Biden for potential tax violations, told lawmakers Monday his entire team was removed from the probe, according to a letter from his lawyers obtained by USA TODAY.
The letter said the IRS criminal supervisory special agent "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." The Justice Department informed the whistleblower about the change.
IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel had testified on April 27 at the House Ways and Means Committee that no one at the agency would be retaliated against.
“I can say without hesitation there will be no retaliation for anyone making an allegation or a call to a whistleblower hotline,” he said.
Lawyers for the undisclosed whistleblower disagreed.
“However, this move is clearly retaliatory and may also constitute obstruction of a congressional inquiry,” said the letter from Trian Leavitt, president of Empower Oversight, a group representing whistleblowers, and Mark Lytle, a partner at Nixon Peabody.
“Our client has a right to make disclosures to Congress,” the letter added. “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.”
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