Trump admin. promotes IRS agents who exposed Hunter Biden sweetheart plea deal
The two IRS whistleblowers who revealed the Biden administration’s lenient treatment of Hunter Biden have been given promotions and are now senior advisers to the Treasury Department secretary.
Gary Shapley has been promoted to deputy chief of IRS Criminal Investigations and has been assigned to Secretary Scott Bessent’s office to advise him on IRS reforms. Joseph Ziegler is also being promoted and assigned to assist in IRS reform.
The two men told Congress — and then the country, in dramatic public testimony — of having been kicked off the investigation into Hunter Biden and watched as the Biden Justice Department derailed their case.
Their public revelations helped force the Justice Department’s hand, undercutting the lenient plea deal that had been worked out and leading to Mr. Biden facing felony charges for tax evasion and illegal possession of a gun as a drug user.
He was found guilty of the gun charges and pleaded guilty to the tax charges.
His father, President Biden, pardoned him late last year.
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The whistleblowers, in a joint statement, said they hope to put their up-close look at the broken system to use.
“It’s never been easy, and there have been more pitfalls than one would hope, but we appreciate the opportunity Secretary Bessent is giving us to utilize our skills and firsthand knowledge of the agency to further the work of the administration to root out waste and fraud from the federal government and make a difference,” the two men said.
Sen. Charles E. Grassley, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Congress’ chief champion of whistleblowers, said the promotions should help stiffen the spines of other whistleblowers.
“Gary Shapley and Joe Ziegler put their entire careers on the line to stand up for the truth, and instead of being thanked, the Biden administration treated them like skunks at a picnic,” the Iowa Republican said. “I hope today is the first of many redemption stories for whistleblowers who’ve been mistreated.”
Mr. Bessent said he expects the men to “drive much-needed cultural reform within the IRS.”
