It was a hearing that could have been a captivating Hollywood movie. At its center was the son of a US President who had evaded paying taxes for several years while battling drug addiction. He also broke the law by owning a gun as a drug addict and frequently filmed himself having sex with sex workers, posting the content on the porn site Pornhub. All of this happened while he made millions of dollars worldwide, relying solely on his father's name.
However, the scandal was not about Hunter Biden filming himself while engaging in illicit activities; it was about the subsequent investigation that spanned years and ended with a plea deal or no severe charges.
This left millions of people enraged across the United States, especially considering many have been harshly punished for tax evasion or owning a gun as drug addicts. President Biden, in the past, had authored a crime bill that sent thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people to prison for drug-related offenses.
Yet, here he was, defending his son, who seemed to act as a foreign agent, earning millions, and then failing to pay taxes, thereby concealing the source of his income.
As a result, two United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblowers testified publicly for the first time on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, alleging that the Justice Department improperly interfered with the tax investigation into Hunter Biden, the son of President Joseph R. Biden Jr., who is not expected to serve jail time.
The high-stakes hearing featured gripping testimonies from the IRS whistleblowers, with two key figures, Greg Shapley, a supervisory special agent for the IRS, and Joe Ziegler, an IRS agent since 2010, who was referred to as "whistleblower X" during previous closed-door interviews.
During the hearing, Ziegler identified himself, stating that he was "compelled to disclose the truth," regardless of his affiliations.
The revelations made by the whistleblowers during the hearing raised concerns about potential interference and preferential treatment in the case. Shapley dropped a bombshell, claiming that U.S. Attorney David Weiss had sought special counsel status to pursue tax charges against Hunter Biden in jurisdictions outside Delaware. However, the request was reportedly denied, sparking questions about the decision-making process.
As the hearing progressed, the focus shifted to the alleged discrepancies in Hunter Biden's tax returns. Ziegler highlighted that Hunter Biden failed to report income earned from Burisma in Ukraine for the 2014 tax year, which could have led to a significant tax loss for the government. Additionally, Shapley emphasized that deductions claimed by Hunter Biden raised concerns about potential willful tax evasion.
The testimony brought several key points to light. Firstly, there were concerns about the decision-making process in the case. The whistleblower raised questions about the lack of felony charges against Hunter Biden, despite apparent evidence of willful tax evasion, including false deductions claimed by the president's son.
Secondly, the agent pointed out that Hunter Biden did not report income from Burisma for the 2014 tax year, resulting in a substantial tax loss to the government. Surprisingly, there seemed to be no indication that Hunter Biden would be required to pay taxes on this income or amend his 2014 tax return.
Furthermore, the whistleblower questioned the charging document for the District of Delaware, where Hunter Biden was charged with failure to timely pay taxes for 2017 and 2018. The tax amount reported for 2018 did not account for the alleged additional tax due from the filed false return, raising doubts about proper deductions and the potential inclusion of improper ones.
Additionally, the agent shed light on the involvement of prosecutors and investigators in the decision to bring felony charges against Hunter Biden. Meetings and discussions led to the recommendation of charges for the 2014 and 2018 tax years.
The whistleblower's testimony raised serious concerns about the handling of the tax evasion case involving the President's son.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee may have to carefully examine the evidence presented to ensure transparency and accountability in the justice system. As the investigation unfolds, the nation awaits the release of the plea agreement to gain a better understanding of the situation.
DRAMA
During the hearing, there was also drama. Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene made headlines by displaying explicit images of Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden, during a House Oversight Committee hearing.
The images showed Hunter Biden engaging in sexual acts with sex workers, with black boxes censoring explicit content, but his face was visible.
Greene's actions drew criticism from Democrats, with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez describing it as "pornographic" and expressing disapproval.
Greene defended her decision, stating that Americans deserved to see the images.
A Hearing Like no Other: US President's Son Embroiled in Tax Evasion Scandal Involving Millions, Sex Workers, Drugs