(Townhall) Hunter Biden is suing the Internal Revenue Service, arguing whistleblower testimony from career agents was meant to embarrass him and was a violation of his privacy.
“President Biden’s son Hunter Biden filed a lawsuit Monday against the Internal Revenue Service, charging that when agents who were investigating him told Congress and news reporters about their concerns that the case was not being managed properly, they violated his privacy rights as a taxpayer,” the Washington Post reports. “Biden charges in the lawsuit that when two IRS agents went to Congress and news organizations complaining of alleged mishandling of the investigation by Justice Department officials, they disclosed information about the investigation, and about Biden’s taxes, that the law aims to keep secret.”
George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley is crying foul and classifying the move as whistleblower intimidation.
Months ago, I wrote about the move of the Biden legal team to adopt a scorched earth strategy attacking witnesses and critics. https://t.co/YRoRUQ3ZlF This has included suing the computer shop owner who gave the FBI the laptop and now includes a lawsuit against the IRS itself…
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) September 18, 2023
…He also includes public statements: “This assault on Mr. Biden’s rights involved the public disclosure of his confidential tax information during more than 20 nationally televised and non-congressionally sanctioned interviews and numerous public statements.”…
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) September 18, 2023
…The core of these allegations will turn on the initial public disclosures before Congress and whether the privacy laws override the congressional oversight interests in these hearings. Most courts are leery in limiting the scope of such oversight hearings and investigations.
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) September 18, 2023
IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joe Ziegler testified in July that the agency gave Hunter Biden special treatment. They said under oath and that the investigation into his tax evasion was handled improperly and was influenced by politics.
IRS WHISTLEBLOWER SHAPLEY:
“The Justice Department allowed the president’s political appointees to weigh in on whether to charge the president’s son…I watched United States Attorney Weiss tell a room full of senior FBI and IRS senior leads…that he was not the deciding person… pic.twitter.com/nwBYWmaJRa
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 19, 2023
IRS WHISTLEBLOWER SHAPLEY:
“There is not benefit for me blowing the whistle on this case. Absolutely NONE. I have no book deal, and the only money that goes into my bank account every two weeks is from my employment for the federal government!” pic.twitter.com/w1bXydhVdO
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 19, 2023
Shortly after the testimony Hunter Biden’s sweetheart plea deal, which had been announced in June, fell apart in federal court.
