Rep. Jason Smith and other Republican members of the House Ways and Means Committee speak to reporters about release of IRS whistleblower transcripts alleging misconduct in the Hunter Biden investigation.
I can now confirm that we have credible whistleblower testimony alleging misconduct and government abuse that is resulting in preferential treatment for the President’s son, Hunter Biden. Mr. Biden has been under investigation for tax crimes that include evading taxes on income from foreign sources. Only the Ways and Means Committee has the ability to report this information legally to the full House of Representatives and thereby make it known to the American public. Doing so is an important step in preventing future misconduct, encouraging other whistleblowers to come forward, and considering possible future legislative reforms.
As I mentioned in my remarks before the executive session there are three areas of focus in the transcripts of interviews with whistleblowers. Number One, the federal government is not treating taxpayers equally when enforcing tax laws. Number Two, whistleblowers claim the Biden Department of Justice is intervening and overstepping when it comes to the investigation of the President’s son and Number Three, these whistleblowers report they have faced almost immediate retaliation. Let me provide detail. On number one, not one, but two, IRS employees are blowing the whistle with evidence that the federal government is not treating taxpayers equally when enforcing tax law. The whistleblowers were working on an investigation into Hunter Biden that opened in November of 2018, as an offshoot of a separate corporate investigation by the IRS. Let me emphasize, this was an investigation in the ordinary course of work at the IRS. It was not ordered by any individual, any chairman, or any political entity. The testimony we released today shows the IRS recommended charges against Hunter Biden that included attempt to evade or defeat tax, a felony. Fraud or false statements, a felony. And willful failure to file returns, supply information or pay tax.
These tax crimes cover an estimated 2.2 million in unreported tax on global income streams to Mr. Biden and his associates from Ukraine, Romania, and China totaling 17.3 million from 2014 to 2019. Mr. Biden personally received 8.3 million dollars. Whistleblowers detail foreign payments to Mr. Biden including $64,000 from the Chinese company State Energy HK, a large Diamond worth $80,000, and a Porsche worth $142,000. These payments are just a fraction of the total, but they provide insight into a world of wealth and influence that no ordinary American would recognize. And what plea deal did Mr. Biden just receive, a slap on the wrist for charges that have put other Americans behind bars. As I said, the federal government is not treating all taxpayers equally.
Number two, whistleblowers claim the Biden Department of Justice is intervening and overstepping when it comes to the investigation of the President’s son. Despite what whistleblowers described as a clear-cut case for tax liability on these payments, IRS investigators say they found themselves hamstrung internally. The testimony we have just released details a lack of U.S. attorney independence, recurring unjustified delays, unusual actions outside the normal course of any investigation, a lack of transparency across the investigation and prosecution teams, and bullying and threats from the defense counsel.
This was a campaign of delay divulge and deny. Whistleblower say reoccurring unjustified delays pervaded the investigation, including an authenticating a WhatsApp message in which Hunter Biden demands payment from Chinese officials, noting that his father is in the room. The whistleblowers rebuild IRS investigators were told by U.S. Attorney Leslie Wolfe that because the evidence would be found in the guest house of former Vice President Biden “there is no way” a search warrant for evidence would ever get approved. IRS whistleblowers told this committee that crucial information about the investigation was divulge to Hunter Biden’s attorneys. For example even an investigator, investigators, had probable cause to search and Northern Virginia storage unit in which Hunter Biden had stored files. Attorneys for Biden were made aware prior to any search providing them valuable time to remove any materials that could be useful evidence. Few Americans qualify for such soft glove treatment from federal investigators.
Testimony shows that U.S. attorney of Delaware, David Weiss, tried to bring charges in the District of Columbia around March of 2022 and was denied. Weiss sought Special Counsel status from the DOJ in the spring of 2022 and was once again denied. Weiss sought to bring charges in the Central District of California in the fall of 2022 and had that request denied in January of 2023. Yet U.S. Attorney General, Merrick Garland, told Congress that Weiss had all the authority necessary to pursue the charges. Well, which is it?
Number three, these whistleblowers report they have faced almost immediate retaliation. They say they tried multiple times to sound the alarm internally at the IRS and raise concerns with the Department of Justice prosecution team. Their concerns were not given fair consideration.
One of the whistleblowers was passed over for a position when he was more qualified than the candidate selected by IRS leadership. And roadblocks, roadblocks have appeared in the course of their other unrelated investigations. Now that they have testified to Congress they have been removed from the investigation. These individuals are risking their careers and reputations to do the right thing, which is, which is to come to our committee, the only committee, that can legally receive their testimony and share it with the House of Representatives.
In closing I’ll repeat the three key findings from today’s release of whistleblower testimony. Number one, the federal government is not treating taxpayers equally when enforcing tax laws. Number two, whistleblower say that the Biden Department of Justice is intervening and overstepping when it comes to the investigation of the President’s son. And number three, these whistleblowers have faced almost immediate retaliation. The Scales of Justice cannot be tipped in the favor of the wealthy and the politically connected. No one is above the law.
