The Biden White House is on its way out. Trump wants to reshape everything.
And now a DOJ whistleblower has dropped a bomb on Washington, D.C. in a new announcement.
Whistleblower Calls for Overhaul of DOJ and IRS Following Hunter Biden Investigation
Gary Shapley, the IRS supervisory special agent whose whistleblower testimony triggered intense scrutiny of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) handling of the Hunter Biden tax case, has called for a major overhaul of both the DOJ and the IRS. Shapley, who has raised concerns about political bias in the investigation, emphasized the need for structural changes to ensure greater accountability and fairness.
In May 2023, Shapley testified before Congress that DOJ prosecutors had been “slow-walking” the investigation into Hunter Biden. His allegations suggested that political influence may have hindered a full and fair investigation into the president’s son. According to Shapley, his attempts to take further investigative steps, including interviewing key witnesses, were routinely denied by senior DOJ officials. Additionally, two U.S. attorneys appointed by President Biden allegedly refused to collaborate with U.S. Attorney David Weiss in pursuing charges against Hunter Biden.
Following Shapley’s testimony, negotiations for a plea deal between Hunter Biden’s attorneys and federal prosecutors faltered. One key point of contention was a provision in the proposed deal that would have granted Hunter Biden broad immunity, which led to a judge’s questioning of the agreement. Shapley and his colleague, IRS special agent Joe Ziegler, were also removed from the investigation after special counsel Weiss took over.
Shapley’s testimony and public statements have fueled calls for reform. In an interview, he remarked that the DOJ had become so politically biased, particularly leaning towards liberal and Democratic views, that it required a comprehensive overhaul. “The DOJ so heavily leans liberal, Democrat, that it needs to be just completely revamped from the top,” Shapley said, stressing that many attorneys within the DOJ were no longer operating with impartiality.
Here's the full response to Abbe Lowell's request to throw out the $20 million defamation lawsuit against him by the IRS agents who blew the whistle on Biden's DOJ tanking the Hunter Biden case….https://t.co/I56RI8wYuZ highlights…⬇️ https://t.co/JSm6r7wrsn pic.twitter.com/lBuI3Nmawt
— Jason Foster (@JsnFostr) December 19, 2024
Shapley’s criticisms went beyond the DOJ to his own agency, the IRS, where he also sees a need for reform. He suggested that the IRS leadership structure was flawed and based more on bureaucratic promotion than merit. “If the American people think that the most knowledgeable, most experienced and most successful, high-performing people at my agency are senior leaders, then they’re sorely mistaken,” Shapley explained. He called for changes to the IRS leadership track, arguing that promotions should be based on merit and performance rather than the current system, which he described as one of “moving people into new positions and fabricating their resumes.”
Shapley and Ziegler have continued to face professional repercussions since blowing the whistle. They are currently involved in a defamation lawsuit against Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, who accused them of committing “clear-cut crimes” and leaking nonpublic information. The lawsuit, filed in September 2023, claims that Lowell’s statements, which were shared with the media, were intended to discredit the whistleblowers and protect his client. Shapley and Ziegler’s attorneys argue that such false attacks, especially when made public, could deter future whistleblowers from coming forward. “If the powerful can defame whistleblowers with impunity, who will feel safe coming forward?” the attorneys wrote.
Shapley has expressed how these defamatory claims have affected his career, noting that his professional reputation has been severely damaged, making his work overseeing international tax cases much more difficult. “My career has been destroyed,” he said, underscoring the personal toll the allegations have taken.
Beyond the defamation lawsuit, Shapley and Ziegler also attempted to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Hunter Biden against the IRS, in which he accused them of violating his taxpayer privacy. However, their effort was denied in court.
The whistleblowers’ actions have gained additional significance in light of Hunter Biden’s legal troubles. In December 2023, President Joe Biden pardoned his son after Hunter Biden was convicted on gun charges and pleaded guilty to tax charges in California. Shapley believes that the pardon highlights the importance of their disclosure, suggesting that Hunter Biden’s legal outcomes might have been different had the DOJ’s handling of the case not been called into question. Shapley noted that the pardon “leveled the playing field” and removed the perception of “moral superiority” that some Democrats had in the media.
Brave Whistleblower Gary Shapley says Biden’s DOJ allowed the President's political appointees to weigh in on whether to charge the President's son.
“After U.S. Attorney for D.C. Matthew Graves, appointed by President Biden, refused to bring charges, I watched Mr. Weiss tell a… pic.twitter.com/KdAt5sVcVO
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) July 19, 2023
“The most important part about this is the American people understanding what actually happened,” Shapley concluded, emphasizing that the public must be fully informed of the circumstances surrounding the case.
The Backstory If You Missed It
Gary Shapley is a former IRS (Internal Revenue Service) agent who gained significant public attention in 2023 for his role in the investigation into Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden. Shapley, along with an anonymous whistleblower, came forward to allege that there had been interference and mishandling in the investigation of Hunter Biden’s tax affairs, particularly regarding his business dealings and income sources. The investigation, which spanned several years, focused on potential tax evasion, illegal lobbying, and violations of foreign lobbying laws.
Shapley claimed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and senior prosecutors had impeded or slowed the investigation, and that there was political interference to prevent more serious charges from being filed against Hunter Biden. He alleged that the DOJ had not allowed investigators to bring charges in certain states or pursue charges that he and others believed were warranted.
One of the most controversial aspects of Shapley’s allegations was his assertion that there was unequal treatment in the case, with the Biden family receiving preferential treatment from top officials. He also raised concerns about the timing of decisions in the case, arguing that they were politically motivated in light of the 2020 presidential election and the current political climate.
Shapley’s claims were scrutinized by both supporters and critics. Some Republican lawmakers and conservative media outlets viewed him as a whistleblower and hero, arguing that his testimony pointed to systemic issues in how the DOJ handles investigations into high-profile political figures. On the other hand, critics, including some Democrats, dismissed Shapley’s allegations as partisan and unfounded, suggesting that the investigation into Hunter Biden was thorough and fair.
The controversy further intensified in the wake of the public revelation of a plea deal for Hunter Biden in mid-2023, which resulted in a misdemeanor conviction for tax violations but avoided more serious felony charges. Some saw the plea deal as too lenient, while others viewed it as an appropriate resolution given the facts of the case.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
