House Ways and Means Committee chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., is demanding answers from the IRS after a whistleblower said his team was removed from investigating Hunter Biden for tax fraud in a move the whistleblower called "clearly retaliatory."
"I call on Commissioner [Daniel] Werfel to abide by his pledge, quickly provide information to Congress in response to these allegations and ensure that no action is taken to discourage those who attempt to shine a light on government misconduct," Smith said in a letter to Werfel on Tuesday.
Lawyers for the whistleblower, a criminal supervisory agent who recently contacted Congress to a allege a cover-up in the case, on Monday said the Justice Department interfered with the Hunter Biden probe and removed his team from the investigation.
"Today the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Supervisory Special Agent we represent was informed that he and his entire investigative team are being removed from the ongoing and sensitive investigation of the high-profile, controversial subject about which our client sought to make whistleblower disclosures to Congress," the lawyers wrote in a letter to Congress.
The whistleblower had supervised the Hunter Biden probe since early 2020.
"On April 27, 2023, IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel appeared before the House Committee on Ways and Means. He testified: 'I can say without any hesitation there will be no retaliation for anyone making an allegation or a call to a whistleblower hotline.' However, this move is clearly retaliatory and may also constitute obstruction of a congressional inquiry," the lawyers said.
"Our client has a right to make disclosures to Congress … He is protected by 5 U.S.C. § 2302 from retaliatory personnel actions — including receiving a 'significant change in duties, responsibilities, or working conditions' (which this clearly is) because of his disclosures to Congress.
"Any attempt by any government official to prevent a federal employee from furnishing information to Congress is also a direct violation of longstanding appropriations restriction. Furthermore, 18 U.S.C. § 1505 makes it a crime to obstruct an investigation of Congress," Mark Lytle and Tristan Leavitt wrote.
The IRS in a statement said it "is deeply committed to protecting the role of whistleblowers, and there are robust processes and procedures in place to protect whistleblowers."
"As IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel has stated, we will not tolerate retaliation against any IRS employee making a whistleblower allegation," the agency said in its statement, which did not directly address the Hunter Biden investigation. "When suggestions of wrongdoing are raised, we work with all appropriate parties, including the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, to ensure the integrity of the whistleblower process is safeguarded."
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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