![]() ![]() Whistleblower "felt handcuffed" during probeĭuring the investigation, Ziegler said he "felt handcuffed." For example, he says he wanted prosecutors to obtain a search warrant to access a Virginia storage unit to search for potential business records but they declined to do so. And we don't think you should bring these charges forward in our district,'" Ziegler explained to CBS News. said, 'No, we are not gonna assist you with bringing charges in our district. and Shapley said Weiss told him he was denied special counsel status by the Justice Department. ![]() attorney's office for Delaware declined to comment on this story.Īttorney General Merrick Garland - who kept Weiss on the job to complete the Biden probe - previously said in response to the allegations that Weiss was "permitted to continue his investigation and to make a decision to prosecute any way in which he wanted to and in any district in which he wanted to."īoth Ziegler and Shapely have told congressional investigators and CBS News they were told that prosecutors in Delaware were prevented from bringing charges in other jurisdictions - including California and Washington, D.C. Weiss pushed back in a letter last month saying he had ultimate authority on these matters and was "never denied the authority to bring charges in any jurisdiction." Both men have raised concerns about the possibility that the Biden Justice Department in some way impeded the case. The decision not to charge the president's son with tax felonies remains a source of concern and confusion for both of the IRS agents who have now spoken out about the matter. "And in this case, no, I don't think so." IRS whistleblowers confused about Hunter Biden charging decision "At the end of the day, it's a matter of are we treating everyone the same? Are we treating all taxpayers the same?" Zielger said. That deal will have to be approved by a federal judge, who has scheduled a hearing on the matter for next week in Delaware. Biden will not plead guilty to the gun charge, which will be dismissed if he meets certain conditions. attorney's office ultimately agreed to a deal that would charge Hunter Biden with two misdemeanor tax counts - to which the president's son agreed to plead guilty - and a felony gun charge for which Biden agreed to enter into a diversion program. ![]() "David said to us…'I'm getting some concern from the Department of Justice Tax Division, the evidence that might come in related to his substance abuse and the death of his brother, Beau Biden, those might affect the jury's opinion'," Ziegler said.Ĭourt filings unsealed last month showed that the U.S. Attorney for Delaware, David Weiss, told him he agreed with certain felony charges, but there was resistance from other officials inside the Department of Justice who thought a jury may be sympathetic to Hunter Biden's drug addiction and the death of his brother, Beau Biden. Hunter Biden's legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "In August of 2022, we had a phone call with all of the assigned prosecutors and they had said that all four of them were recommending the approval of felony and misdemeanor tax charges," Ziegler said. In 2021, Ziegler says he drafted a memorandum recommending prosecutors charge Hunter Biden with multiple felonies and misdemeanors. Ziegler alleges that evidence he collected showed how Hunter Biden improperly claimed business deductions for a range of personal expenses, such as college tuition for his children, bills for stays at a posh Hollywood hotel, payments to escorts, and no-show employees. And they noted that Hunter Biden has repaid the taxes he owed. Democrats also questioned whether the two agents lacked visibility into the factors prosecutors faced when making decisions about what charges to bring. Those attorneys counter that they have worked with both Republican and Democratic whistleblowers and organizations. ![]() Richard Neal of Massachusetts, said during that closed door meeting that Republican efforts to publicize the tax records of a private citizen was an example of "naked partisanship, and stoops below the stature of this Committee."ĭemocrats have also focused on Shapley's and Ziegler's choice of legal representation their attorneys have had connections to Republican Party politics. The top minority member on the committee, Democratic Rep. During an executive session in June, the Ways and Means committee voted to publicly release the transcripts from Shapley and Ziegler's whistleblower testimony, keeping Ziegler's identity hidden. ![]()
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