IRS agents Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, who blew the whistle on political interference in the Hunter Biden tax probe, have filed a defamation lawsuit against Abbe Lowell, the president's son's attorney. They allege Lowell made false accusations against them in an effort to retaliate for their efforts to expose the preferential treatment Hunter Biden received.
Two IRS agents who became whistleblowers in the Hunter Biden tax probe have filed a $20 million defamation lawsuit against Hunter Biden's attorney, Abbe Lowell. The lawsuit, filed in D.C. court on Friday, alleges that Lowell retaliated against agents Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler for exposing the preferential treatment Hunter Biden received regarding his non-payment of taxes.
IRS Whistleblowers File $20 Million Lawsuit Against Hunter Biden's Attorney for Defamation
Shapley and Ziegler claim they acted as whistleblowers "with honor and integrity" to expose political motivations and conflicts of interest that they believed interfered with the investigation. They allege Lowell "falsely and maliciously" accused them of committing felonies, including illegally disclosing grand jury materials and taxpayer return information.
The lawsuit cites several instances of Lowell's alleged defamation, including a September 2023 letter Lowell sent to congressional committees in which he falsely accused the agents of violating grand jury secrecy and taxpayer confidentiality rules. The pair also accuse Lowell of releasing Biden's legal team's communications to the media, which included a letter accusing one or both of the whistleblowers of leaking information to the press.
IRS Whistleblowers File $20 Million Lawsuit Against Hunter Biden's Attorney for Defamation
The whistleblowers argue that Lowell's actions have severely harmed their professional and personal reputations. They are each suing Lowell for at least $10 million.
Shapley and Ziegler's allegations against the Biden tax investigation have been controversial. They claim prosecutorial decisions were influenced by politics and that Hunter Biden should have been charged with more serious tax offenses.
IRS Whistleblowers File $20 Million Lawsuit Against Hunter Biden's Attorney for Defamation
Shapley alleges that the "effect of benefiting the subject of the investigation" was present at every stage of the probe. Ziegler claims investigators "slow-walked the investigation" and imposed unnecessary barriers to its efficient progress.
Last week, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to nine tax charges in an "open plea," leaving a judge to decide on sentencing. David Weiss, the Delaware U.S. attorney who initially secured a sweetheart deal for Biden, later charged him with three felonies and six misdemeanors involving $1.4 million in unpaid taxes.
IRS Whistleblowers File $20 Million Lawsuit Against Hunter Biden's Attorney for Defamation
Biden faces a maximum penalty of 17 years in prison. He remains free on bond until the December 16 sentencing date.
The lawsuit against Lowell is the latest development in the ongoing saga of the Hunter Biden tax investigation. It remains to be seen how the courts will rule on the defamation allegations and the larger questions of political interference in the probe.
IRS Whistleblowers File $20 Million Lawsuit Against Hunter Biden's Attorney for Defamation
