An IRS watchdog has turned whistleblower and is alleging that federal prosecutors engaged in “preferential treatment and politics” in their treatment of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter–and even tried to block criminal tax charges against him.
In a letter to the chairs of investigative committees in the House and Senate, attorney Mark D. Lytle wrote that he represents a career IRS Criminal Supervisory Special Agent “who has been overseeing the ongoing and sensitive investigation of a high-profile, controversial subject since early 2020 and would like to make protected whistleblower disclosures to Congress.”
CBS News’ Catherine Herridge shared the letter on Twitter:
“My client has already made legally protected disclosures internally at the IRS, through counsel to the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and to the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General. The protected disclosures: (1) contradict sworn testimony to Congress by a senior political appointee, (2) involve failure to mitigate clear conflicts of interest in the ultimate disposition of the case, and (3) detail examples of preferential treatment and politics improperly infecting decisions and protocols that would normally be followed by career law enforcement professionals in similar circumstances if the subject were not politically connected.”
#HunterBiden IRS whistleblower letter “I represent a career IRS Criminal Supervisory Special Agent who has been overseeing the ongoing + sensitive investigation of a high-profile, controversial subject since early 2020 + would like to make protected WB disclosures to Congress.” pic.twitter.com/1ICwsgVOCc
— Catherine Herridge (@C__Herridge) April 19, 2023
The letter does not explicitly state that the whistleblower’s complaints are about the president’s son, but multiple outlets are reporting that they do indeed concern the probe into Hunter’s taxes. From Just the News:
“Just the News has independently confirmed the agent’s allegations involve the Hunter Biden probe being led by Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a Trump holdover, according to multiple interviews with people directly familiar with the matter.”
The outlet also goes on to say that the whistleblower is a high-level IRS veteran with a strong reputation:
The IRS agent has a sterling record investigating tax crimes across the globe, including work on high-profile Swiss Bank prosecutions, and has won several merit awards. His emergence now in such a politically charged case is certain to inflame a debate over unequal justice in Washington.
The younger Biden has been under investigation since 2018, a fact he has confirmed, and federal prosecutors have been considering charges against him for tax crimes and false statements. He even had to pay off a $2 million tax bill in 2022.
No charges have yet been filed. According to Lytle’s letter, some of the information the whistleblower would provide would include taxpayer and tax return information.
Our government no longer belongs to We the People.
It is controlled by a band of corrupt, traitorous criminals.
God, help us. 🙏🏼🇺🇸 https://t.co/crW5zBorRE
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) April 19, 2023
CNN reports that there has been controversy among the prosecutors:
Some IRS and FBI investigators and Justice Department prosecutors have been at odds about the strength of the case during internal meetings last year. Some Justice officials have raised qualms about whether the evidence is strong enough, while some agents have expressed their belief they have enough evidence to bring charges.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) reacted quickly to the letter, issuing a statement Wednesday saying his committee would look into the matter:
“We appreciate this outreach and look forward to sitting down promptly with this individual to better understand the scope and detail of the concerns raised. The Committee takes seriously any allegations of misconduct by government officials or offices and will, on behalf of American taxpayers, look into concerns that are brought to our attention. It is our responsibility to ensure the tax code is applied fairly and appropriately to all Americans – whether through the oversight efforts this Committee initiates or the need for oversight that is brought to our attention.”
Life could soon get a lot more difficult for Hunter Biden.
