The House Ways and Means Committee has released “credible whistleblower testimony alleging misconduct and government abuse that is resulting in preferential treatment for the president’s son, Hunter Biden.”
Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) indicated in a press conference Thursday that two Internal Revenue Service whistleblowers, one of whom is 14-year IRS veteran Gary Shapley Jr., have provided evidence demonstrating an unfair and unequal enforcement of tax laws by the federal government as well as proof that the “Biden Department of Justice is intervening and overstepping when it comes to the investigation of the president’s son.”
Smith blended summary and insights gleaned from the IRS whistleblowers’ testimonies, stating during the June 22 press conference that as the result of an apolitical, “ordinary course of work” investigation initially launched in 2018, the IRS recommended “charges against Hunter Biden that included attempt to evade or defeat tax, a felony; fraud or false statements, a felony; and willful failure to file returns, supply information or pay tax.”
“These tax crimes cover an estimated $2.2 million in unreported tax on global income streams to Mr. Biden and his associates from Ukraine, Romania and China, totaling $17.3 million from 2014 to 2019,” continued Smith. “Mr. Biden personally received $8.3 million dollars. Whistleblowers detail foreign payments to Mr. Biden including: $664,000 from the Chinese company State Energy HK; a large diamond worth $80,000; and a Porsche worth $142,000 dollars.”
“These payments are just a fraction of the total, but they provide insight into a world of wealth and influence that no ordinary American would recognize,” added Smith.
This might be especially true of the child Hunter Biden sired out of wedlock, for whom he desperately tried to pay less in child support, citing a “substantial material change” in his “financial circumstances.”
In light of Biden’s alleged tax crimes, Smith suggested the plea deal the first son just received amounted to a “slap on the wrists for charges that have put other Americans behind bars.”
Hunter Biden’s attorneys struck a sweetheart deal with U.S. Attorney David Weiss Tuesday, whereby the first son will “plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges of failure to pay in 2017 and 2018.”
Instead of having to go to jail, prosecutors agreed to recommend that the younger Biden receive only probation and pay the amount of taxes he originally owed.
According to the whistleblowers, Hunter Biden is not just the beneficiary of preferential treatment as it pertains to his criminal investigation, but of interventions and supportive overreach by the Biden Department of Justice.
Smith said the testimonies detail “a lack of of U.S. attorney independence; recurring unjustified delays; unusual actions outside the normal course of any investigation; a lack of transparency across the investigation and prosecution teams; and bullying and threats from the defense council. This was a campaign of delay, divulge and deny.”
One of the IRS whistleblowers reportedly stated, “After former Vice President Joe Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee for President in early April 2020, career DOJ officials dragged their feet on the IRS taking these investigative steps.”
For instance, the investigation was delayed by a drawn-out effort to authenticate a WhatsApp message in which Hunter Biden demanded payment from Chinese officials.
In the message shown by Ways and Means Republicans, Hunter Biden appears to have written, “I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. … I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction.”
Concerning the authentication of this message, IRS whistleblowers suggested investigators were told by U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf that “because the evidence would be found in the guest house of former Vice President Biden, ‘there is no way’ a search warrant for evidence would ever get approved.”
According to the committee, the ostensible purpose of such delays was to reach the statue of limitations, thereby killing the investigation.
While possibly critical evidence was put out of reach, actionable information about investigators’ progress was made easily accessible to Hunter Biden’s attorneys, according to the whistleblowers.
Smith noted that in one instance, investigators had probable cause to search a storage unit in Northern Virginia in which Biden had stored documents. However, “attorneys for Biden were made aware prior to any search, providing them valuable time to remove any materials that could be useful evidence.”
The Ways and Means committee further indicated that U.S. Attorney of Delaware David Weiss had multiple attempts to bring charges denied, despite Attorney General Merrick Garland telling Congress that Weiss had all the authority necessary to pursue the charges.
For having brought their concerns to the attention of the American people, the committee chairman indicated, “the IRS employees who blew the whistle on this abuse were retaliated against, despite a commitment IRS Commissioner Werfel made before the Ways and Means Committee to uphold their legal protections. They were removed from this investigation after they responsibly worked through the chain of command to raise these concerns.”
The committee has so far concluded that the Biden administration is keen to provide “preferential treatment to the wealthy and well-connected, including the son of the President of the United States.”
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!