The IRS removed the entire investigative team involved in the ongoing tax fraud investigation concerning Hunter Biden, the son of the President, the New York Post reported Monday.
Whistleblower alleges retaliation as IRS removes entire investigative team from Hunter Biden probe
This move is believed to be a response to the whistleblower who recently approached Congress, claiming that there was an attempt to conceal information related to the case. Attorneys representing the whistleblower conveyed that the decision to remove the team was made under the direction of the Justice Department.
“Today the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Supervisory Special Agent we represent 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. He was informed the change was at the request of the Department of Justice,” said lawyers Mark Lytle and Tristan Leavitt.
Although the whistleblower, who has been overseeing the investigation involving Hunter Biden since early 2020, has not publicly disclosed the first son as the primary focus of the case, congressional sources have verified this information. The whistleblower alleges that the case is being deliberately downplayed or ignored by relevant authorities, according to the report.
Whistleblower’s lawyers cite potential obstruction of congressional inquiry and violation of whistleblower protections
“On April 27, 2023, IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel appeared before the House Committee on Ways and Means. He testified: ‘I can say without any hesitation there will be no retaliation for anyone making an allegation or a call to a whistleblower hotline.’ However, this move is clearly retaliatory and may also constitute obstruction of a congressional inquiry,” the lawyers added.
The whistleblower’s team added: “Our client has a right to make disclosures to Congress … He is protected by 5 U.S.C. § 2302 from retaliatory personnel actions — including receiving a ‘significant change in duties, responsibilities, or working conditions’ (which this clearly is) because of his disclosures to Congress.
“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,” Lytle and Leavitt wrote.
No immediate response was received from the IRS and the Justice Department regarding the requests for comment. There was also no response from Biden’s legal team or the White House.
Hunter Biden is currently being investigated for alleged failure to pay taxes on a significant amount of income, primarily derived from foreign sources, according to The Post.
