Whistleblower X reveals identity as IRS special agent Joseph Ziegler
On Wednesday, the identity of the IRS whistleblower who claimed political misconduct during the Hunter Biden probe was revealed as Special Agent Joseph Ziegler – a gay Democrat serving in the criminal investigation division for more than a decade.
Ziegler appeared before the House Oversight Committee for the first public time on Wednesday. He was joined by his IRS supervisor Gary Shapley who has also blown the whistle about political influence in prosecutorial decisions during the long-running federal investigation into the son of the president.
Ziegler described himself as a gay Democrat who is married to a male.
He testified Hunter Biden should have been charged as a tax felon, not just a misdemeanor. Investigators also found that the communications and texts reviewed may contradict what President Biden said about not being involved with Hunter’s overseas dealings.
|
Ziegler described the “corrosion in ethical standards and abuse of power which threatens our nation” he had witnessed.
He testified about several instances where prosecutors “didn’t follow the normal process, slowed down the investigation and put in place unnecessarily approvals and barriers to effectively and efficiently investigate the case”, including blocking the questioning and interviews of Hunter Biden’s adult children.
Ziegler requested that Congress and the Biden Administration “consider” appointing a special prosecutor for the Hunter Biden Investigation and “all related cases and spinoff investigations which have been uncovered as a result of this investigation.”
Ziegler stated that Congress should “consider establishing an official channel to allow Federal investigators pull the emergency cord, and bring up the issue of appointment of a Special Counsel for consideration by senior officials.”
Shapley testified, after he had given multiple interviews to the media since the House Ways & Means Committee published his transcript last month, that prosecutors “had chosen to conceal from investigators some evidence” they found on Hunter Biden’s laptop.
He said that the Delaware’s U.S. Attorney’s Office had “slowly walked steps” like conducting interviews, requesting documents, and pursuing search warrants physically in California, Virginia, and Delaware until after the 2020 Presidential election.
“The warrants had been ready since April 2020 but the Delaware USAO delayed them until after the election in November 2020 and never pursued them,” Shapley stated.
Shapley explained that “after an electronic search warrant was executed on Hunter Biden’s Apple iCloud, it led us to WhatsApp conversations with CEFC China Energy executives in which he claimed to have been sitting down and discussing business with Joe Biden. We asked permission to investigate the information contained in the messages.” “Prosecutors wouldn’t allow it.”
Shapley responded that “there were multiple instances where references are made to the father, President Biden, in this investigation.”
Shapley explained that “in the normal course of an investigation, if the father of the subject is somehow connected to the finances of a subject,” Shapley would go and get the information. “Now, as part of a normal investigation, we’d have to get this information in order to properly vet the money flows in that investigation in order to determine what charges we charge.”
Shapley testified in court that a warrant was planned for the Bidens’ Delaware guest house. However, even though she agreed there was “probable reason,” Assistant U.S. attorney Lesley Wolf “cited ‘optics,’ or the potential impact of carrying out a warrant at President Biden’s residence, as the factor deciding whether it could be carried out.”
Shapley stated that “this was her decision, even though she acknowledged that there would be evidence in that location which would help the investigation.” “AUSA Wolf told investigators that they shouldn’t ask witnesses about President Biden, even when his son’s business communications clearly mention him,”
James Comer (R-Ky.), the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, stated that the testimony of the whistleblowers confirms many findings made by his committee during its six-month investigation into the Bidens’ business dealings.
Ziegler confirmed to me that the Biden family received $17 million between 2014 and 2019 from Romania, China and other countries.
Comer asked. “Nothing more than influence and access to Biden’s network.”
The White House made fun of the hearings as whistleblowers spoke out.
“Despite years spent in obsession and wasted taxpayer money on a wild goose hunt, the House GOP haven’t provided a credible piece of proof of wrongdoing of the President,” White House spokesperson for oversight and investigation Ian Sams tweet Wednesday. This waste of time is a reflection of the House Rs’s misplaced priorities.
The House Oversight Committee responded on Twitter: “The White House has been TERRIFIED by the corruption of the Biden family being exposed.” “Makes you question, why?”
Sams replied with a joke. He said, “Your caps lock has become stuck.”
The hearing is highly anticipated and comes during a joint investigation by the Oversight Committee and House Ways and Means Committee on the federal probe of Hunter Biden and if prosecutorial decisions have been influenced by political factors.
Hunter Biden entered into a plea deal with the Justice Department last month, which would keep him out from prison. In the agreement, the president’s child will plead guilty on two misdemeanor charges of willful non-payment of federal income taxes as well as one charge of possessing a firearm while an illegal user or addicted to controlled substances.
Hunter Biden’s first court appearance is set for July 26.
The Justice Department denied that the investigation had been influenced by anyone. U.S. attorney David Weiss, of Delaware, in charge of the investigation, said that the investigation was “ongoing.”
