I have been somewhat dismissive of the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into Hunter Biden and his business dealings and all of that.
The line of inquiry and the findings so far have not compelled me, giving me the impression that the entire affair is politically motivated.
But the Oversight Committee held a hearing on Wednesday that piqued my interest.
Two IRS whistleblowers, each claiming that the probe into Hunter Biden’s taxes was politicized, spoke before Congress.
And in light of the way the DOJ seems to be pursuing a politicized prosecution of former President Donald Trump, I find myself wondering if perhaps the DOJ and the IRS couldn’t have put their thumb on the scale when investigating President Biden’s son.
The Hunter Biden Case Just Exploded Back Into the Headlines
One of the whistleblowers, Joseph Ziegler, is a 13-year veteran of the IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division. “In his testimony,” CNN reported, “Ziegler said he witnessed federal prosecutors deviating from normal procedures, and echoed fellow whistleblower Gary Shapley’s claims that IRS investigators recommended charging Hunter Biden with far more serious rimes than what the president’s son had agreed to plead guilty to.”
In Ziegler’s own words: “It appeared to me, based on what I experienced, that the US attorney in Delaware in our investigation was constantly hamstrung, limited, and marginalized by DOJ officials as well as other US attorneys.”
The IRS wanted to investigate the president, too
Gary Shapley, the other whistleblower, testified that the DOJ prohibited IRS investigators from scrutinizing Joe Biden after investigators found evidence suggesting a financial link between the president and his son, Hunter.
“When the subject’s father is somehow related to the finances of the subject, in the normal course of any investigation, we would have to get that information, to properly vet the financial flows of money, and determine what we end up charging,” Shapley said.
Ziegler also testified that he wanted to scrutinize Hunter Biden’s children after finding that Biden had made illegal deductions in his tax returns relating to his children. But the DOJ nixed the inquiry, saying that it would “get us into hot water.”
What’s going on exactly?
It all sounds mildly conspiratorial, and it’s all happening before the Oversight Committee, which I am skeptical of.
But, at the moment, I’m becoming increasingly receptive to the suggestion that the DOJ is operating to enact a political agenda.
Why? Well, first of all, the DOJ is an executive branch department, technically within the purview of the president. But mostly, because of the DOJ’s recent behavior with respect to former president, and chief Biden political rival, Donald Trump. Namely, the DOJ’s decision last month to indict Trump on 37-charges relating to his handling of classified documents raised some red flags.
The fact is that the DOJ is prosecuting Trump (with the threat of a terminal prison sentence) on an administrative technicality. Actually, the DOJ is expected to indict Trump again in the very near future on charges relating to January 6th. I’ll reserve judgement on any January 6th related charges until the details are public, but given the classified documents specifics (and the Manhattan hush money case specifics),
I’m skeptical. The entire ordeal appears nakedly political. And if the DOJ can be politically manipulative with respect to criminal charges against a former president, the DOJ can certainly be politically manipulative with respect to limiting a tax investigation into the sitting president’s son.
Harrison Kass is the Senior Editor and opinion writer at 19FortyFive. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
From 19FortyFive
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