Two IRS whistleblowers who risked their careers to expose corruption in the Hunter Biden tax case have been appointed to senior positions at the Treasury Department. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler will serve as senior advisors, leading efforts to investigate misconduct within the IRS.
Shapley and Ziegler’s testimony before Congress revealed how the Biden administration interfered in the IRS investigation into Hunter Biden’s tax violations. They documented how Justice Department officials blocked standard procedures, delayed key charging decisions and allowed the statute of limitations to expire on serious offenses. Their disclosures ultimately led to the collapse of a plea deal that would have let Biden’s son off with minimal penalties.
Sec. Scott Bessent Says He Promoted IRS Whistleblowers to Leadership Roles at the Treasury Department
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Bessent, discussing the appointments on Fox Business, said he personally recruited the whistleblowers after meeting them at President Donald Trump’s congressional address. “I decided I would bring them in, give them a year to investigate the wrongdoing at the IRS, and then they will go back in and serve in leadership roles,” he explained. Shapley will now serve as senior deputy for investigations and enforcement.
The move follows an investigation by the Office of Special Counsel, which found that the IRS had retaliated against both men for speaking out. The OSC report determined that agency officials removed Shapley and Ziegler from the Biden case without legitimate cause, issued illegal gag orders and reassigned them to lower-level roles.
In a joint statement, Shapley and Ziegler said they were grateful for the opportunity to help reform the agency. “We have been motivated by one singular mantra: do what’s right,” they said, emphasizing their commitment to eliminating corruption.
Empower Oversight, a watchdog group representing the whistleblowers, praised Bessent for making the appointments. The group highlighted that both men’s deep knowledge of IRS operations will be essential in exposing the agency’s mismanagement.
Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee have repeatedly pointed to the IRS’s handling of the Biden case as an example of political bias in government agencies. With Shapley and Ziegler now leading internal investigations, the agency’s past actions are likely to come under renewed scrutiny.
