Top Republican demands IRS commissioner explain ‘retaliation’ plot related to Hunter
Top Republican demands IRS commissioner explain ‘retaliation’ plot that led to whistleblower’s entire Hunter Biden team being removed from the investigation
Chairman Jason Smith of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee is demanding a probe into an alleged ‘retaliation’ plot by the IRS which led to an entire investigative division looking into Hunter Biden‘s crimes to be cut.
IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel told Congress in April that his agency would not retaliate against whistleblowers, saying that ‘there will be no retaliation for anyone making an allegation or a call to a whistleblower hotline.’
However, Smith is now calling that promise into question after it was revealed this week by attorneys for an IRS whistleblower that the agency removed the entire team probing Hunter Biden’s tax returns ‘in retaliation against a whistleblower who alleged his colleagues were covering-up the president’s son’s financial crimes.’
Smith, R-Mo., sent a letter Tuesday, demanding Werfel explain his apparent contradiction.
‘I call on Commissioner Werfel to abide by his pledge, quickly provide information to Congress in response to these allegations, and ensure that no action is taken to discourage those who attempt to shine a light on government misconduct,’ he said in a statement Tuesday.
According to a letter from the whistleblower’s attorneys earlier this week to Smith and other congressional leaders, their client’s dismissal orders came from the Justice Department.
Hunter, 53, was spotted Monday, along with his father President Joe Biden, and First Lady Jill Biden, at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia for his daughter Maisy’s graduation
The whistleblower – who has not been named – did not publicly identify Hunter as the subject of his coverup claims, but congressional sources did
‘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,’ the letter on behalf of the whistleblower states.
‘He was informed the change was at the request of the Department of Justice,’ Mark Lytle and Tristan Leavitt wrote.
The whistleblower – who has not been named – did not publicly identify Hunter as the subject of his coverup claims, but congressional sources did.
Other Republican lawmakers are speaking out and slamming the IRS for being complicit in an alleged ‘cover-up’ scheme.
‘The IRS is complicit in the cover-up of Hunter Biden’s tax fraud,’ House GOP Chairwoman Elise Stefanik tweeted Tuesday. ‘There must be accountability.’
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., also slammed the alleged action by the IRS detailed in the letter, accusing the federal government of ‘once again’ may be ‘abusing its power’ by retaliating against a whistleblower.
Chairman Jason Smith of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee is demanding a probe into an alleged ‘retaliation’ plot by the IRS
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., brought up the letter by the whistleblower’s attorney during a separate hearing by the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday.
He called Hunter Biden a ‘wealthy tax cheat,’ pointing to the whistleblower’s allegations as another example of the weaponization of the government to protect Biden’s family.
Hunter, 53, was spotted Monday, along with his father President Joe Biden, and First Lady Jill Biden, at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia for his daughter Maisy’s graduation.
He still waits to find out if he will be charged with tax fraud as corruption claims pile up against his family.