House Committees Hold Closed-Door Hearing
The House Ways and Means Committee is set to hold a closed-door hearing on Tuesday, where whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler will testify regarding their concerns about political influence in the Hunter Biden investigation. Shapley, who led the IRS’ portion of the probe, and Ziegler, a 13-year special agent within the IRS’ Criminal Investigation Division, are expected to shed light on their experiences during the years-long federal investigation into Hunter Biden.
Allegations of Influence and Blocking of Questions
Shapley has alleged that their superior, Wolf, attempted to limit questioning related to President Biden throughout the investigation. Specifically, Wolf allegedly sought to block questions regarding President Biden’s involvement and references to him as “dad” or “the big guy.” Shapley’s claims have raised concerns about potential politicization of prosecutorial decisions.
Optics and Tipping Off
According to Shapley, Wolf’s decision-making process was influenced by optics. Despite acknowledging sufficient probable cause for a physical search warrant on Hunter Biden’s residence, Wolf deemed it not worth pursuing. Shapley also claimed that Wolf tipped off Hunter Biden’s legal team ahead of a planned search of his storage unit. These allegations have raised further questions about the integrity of the investigation.
House Impeachment Inquiry and Investigation
The whistleblowers’ testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee and Wolf’s deposition at the Judiciary Committee are part of the House’s impeachment inquiry against President Biden. Led by Chairmen Jason Smith, Jim Jordan, and James Comer of the respective committees, the investigation aims to gather evidence and determine whether there are grounds for drafting articles of impeachment. The focus is on the alleged politicization of the federal probe into Hunter Biden and the Biden family’s foreign business dealings.
Hunter Biden’s Response
Hunter Biden, who recently faced a subpoena to appear for a deposition at the House Oversight Committee, instead made a public statement on Capitol Hill, denying any financial involvement by his father in his business dealings. He criticized the Republican impeachment inquiry and defended his actions. The committee chairs, Comer and Jordan, have threatened to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress.
Charges and Ongoing Investigation
Hunter Biden’s public statement came shortly after facing charges related to tax evasion. Special Counsel David Weiss accused him of a “four-year scheme” of not paying federal income taxes and filing false tax reports. While Hunter Biden has since paid the owed taxes, Weiss’s investigation continues. Additionally, Hunter Biden is also facing federal gun charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
This ongoing investigation into Hunter Biden’s activities remains a focal point of political scrutiny and may have implications for the Biden administration.
