Hunter Biden’s surprise notice of voluntary dismissal of his lawsuit against two IRS whistleblowers Greg Shapley and Joe Ziegler. This decision follows a long string of legal defeats and public fights over the President’s tax matters. For example, he is personally charged with defrauding the federal government out of $1.4 million in improper reimbursement between 2016 and 2019.
In 2023, Biden’s DOJ sued Shapley and Ziegler. He accused the two former IRS agents of pursuing him and seeking to smear him out of revenge for their whistleblower testimony regarding his harassment of their case. Only after criminal charges were filed against him did he ever fully repay the taxes he owed. Those charges featured nine felony counts connected to his taxes.
The lawsuit was dismissed approximately one month later. This came on the heels of a motion filed by Biden’s legal squad—consisting of four lawyers—to withdraw as his counsel. In their joint statement, Shapley and Ziegler further criticized the mishandling of Biden’s tax woes by investigators. Though their claims of mismanagement against the Biden administration were sensationalized, their allegations became national news in less than a day.
The collapse of his plea deal left Biden in deep legal trouble. This interpretation of the guidelines was so far afield that it prompted the Department of Justice (DOJ) to bring criminal charges against him. In May 2023, Shapley went public with his complaints about the DOJ’s handling of the investigation during a CBS interview. He slammed the agency for “slow-walking” the investigation.
“Hunter Biden brought this lawsuit against two honorable federal agents in retaliation for blowing the whistle on the preferential treatment he was given.”
In response to these criticisms, Shapley and Ziegler claimed that their actions were warranted because of the context.
Their litigation director, Dena Iverson, pointed to the fact that the lawsuit’s dismissal means that Biden is no longer willing to challenge the lawsuit any further.
“Shapley and Ziegler did nothing wrong, never had to seek a pardon, and their actions have now been entirely vindicated once again,” said Biden’s lawyers.
If the lawsuit’s dismissal isn’t a big victory, it certainly has important implications. By dismissing the case with prejudice, Biden will be unable to refile the case against Shapley and Ziegler ever again. For starters, all proponents view this ruling as a major victory and validation of their arguments. It acknowledges the validity of their status as whistleblowers.
“Intimidation and retaliation were never going to work. We truly wanted our day in court to provide the complete story, but it appears Mr. Biden was afraid to actually fight this case in a court of law after all.” – Shapley and Ziegler
The lawsuit’s dismissal also comes with significant implications. By dropping the case with prejudice, Biden can never refile against Shapley and Ziegler. This decision has been interpreted by many as an acknowledgment of their claims and a recognition of the legitimacy of their whistleblower status.
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