During Wednesday’s hearing, IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler bravely came forward to reveal the retaliation they experienced from the upper ranks of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) after disclosing misconduct within the agency. In response to their brave actions, Rep. Sessions (R-TX) highlighted what he perceived as a clear disregard for the law exhibited by IRS management.
Shapley addressed the concerning behavior by his superiors. He described how his management stopped speaking to him, “slow-walked” his cases, and effectively severed his access to essential resources.
“None of this is normal,” Shapely said.
Ziegler also shared his “chilling” experience with isolation after coming forward, describing it like “being left out on an island.” He recounted that management suggested that he might have broken the law, and warned him not to ever do it again. Furthermore, he told to route all emails through his leadership, adding to his sense of being cut off from the usual channels of communication.
“To have that come to me was chilling,” said Ziegler.
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In light of these allegations, Rep. Sessions, chairman of the government operations subcommittee, vowed to address retaliatory behaviors not only within the IRS but also in other agencies. He stressed the importance of whistleblower protections as a means to uphold U.S. law, firmly asserting that instances of retaliation must be treated with utmost seriousness.
Ziegler revealed highly incriminating findings from his investigation into Hunter Biden. He alleged that Biden committed felonies related to tax evasion and tax fraud between 2017 and 2019, and that the authorities obstructed AG Weiss’s efforts to investigate the matter.
Furthermore, Ziegler strongly advocated for the appointment of a Special Counsel due to the gravity of the case. He and his fellow investigators sought to charge Hunter Biden with felonies, but their efforts were blocked by intervention from the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Shapley supported Ziegler’s assertion regarding the obstruction from the DOJ and FBI in executing a search warrant on Hunter Biden. The hearing underscored their shared belief that the DOJ appeared to prioritize political considerations over the pursuit of justice in this matter.
