The federal case against Hunter Biden, the subject of a plea agreement announced last week, has taken an unexpected twist. New revelations show a comprehensive probe by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was building a solid tax case against him, involving an alleged evasion of approximately $2.2 million dating back to 2014. The ongoing investigation was abruptly curtailed, and questions linger as to why.
As part of a comprehensive, years-long investigation, federal agencies had collected considerable evidence of a pattern of tax evasion and avoidance by Hunter Biden stretching back to his father’s tenure as vice president. Whistleblower Supervisory IRS Agent Gary Shapley, in his recently released testimony, shared this alarming information with Congress.
Feds built $2.2 million tax case against Hunter Biden dating to 2014 before being thwarted | Just The News https://t.co/RWW29yDkkx
— judyann451 (@judyannaggie) June 24, 2023
Federal agents had been on the trail of multiple felonies when they ran into a roadblock – purportedly erected by political appointees of the Justice Department. Shapley and a second IRS whistleblower indicated that political interference hindered their efforts in several ways. They claimed these disruptions included the denial of approval for search warrants and specific indictments to letting the statute of limitations lapse on some of the more grave offenses.
In Shapley’s words, the meddling was so rampant that “there is no way of knowing if evidence of other criminal activity existed concerning Hunter Biden or President Biden.”
Among the claims asserted by the whistleblowers was that evidence pointed toward Hunter Biden’s failure to pay large sums of taxes and, in specific years, even to file tax returns. Shapley described in detail the itemized elements of each violation for each year, recommending felony tax evasion charges for the tax years 2014, 2018 and 2019.
NBC's Chuck Todd: "Two credible IRS whistleblowers" say the "U.S. Attorney leading the probe was blocked in his efforts to charge Hunter Biden with more serious crimes" by Biden's DOJ pic.twitter.com/aeHGHoL6hv
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 23, 2023
In addition, the supervisory agent explained that Hunter Biden’s history of noncompliance with his taxes often involved large sums of money, of which he wouldn’t withhold taxes. He highlighted one particular memo between Hunter Biden and his business associates from 2017 as an example of this scheme.
Despite the Biden White House’s previous denials of any wrongdoing by Hunter Biden, the revelation of Shapley’s testimony rocked Washington and changed the narrative. His legal team switched gears, stating their client wanted to take accountability for being a tax cheat, and he has since paid more than $2 million in back taxes and penalties.
However, the testimony has posed an even more significant concern for President Biden’s 2024 reelection chances. Detailed public evidence now suggests that Hunter Biden’s deal with Ukraine-based energy company Burisma Holdings involved illegality.
The whistleblowers’ testimony hints that the $1 million in annual payments Hunter Biden received from Burisma may have also involved crimes where he constructed a scheme to avoid paying taxes. Shapley clarified that “the years in question included foreign income from Burisma and a scheme to evade his income taxes through a partnership with a convicted felon.”
One disturbing aspect of the investigation is that the federal prosecutor allegedly warned agents against interviewing President Biden’s grandchildren. Despite it being a customary practice under normal circumstances, especially as some of the payments Hunter Biden made that they were investigating involved his children, the Justice Department official seemed to prioritize avoiding “hot water.”
This story throws a harsh light on the power dynamics in Washington, raising important questions about political influence over legal processes. It paints a sobering picture of what might be a considerable effort to suppress a critical investigation into a public figure’s alleged wrongdoings.
