Two Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblowers have filed a $20 million defamation lawsuit against Hunter Biden's attorney, Abbe Lowell.
According to Fox News, the lawsuit, filed on September 14, 2024, accuses Lowell of retaliating against the whistleblowers for exposing alleged political interference in the investigation of Hunter Biden's tax crimes.
IRS investigators Gary Shapley and Joe Ziegler claim that Lowell's actions were motivated by "clear malice." The lawsuit, filed in a Washington D.C. court, seeks to "vindicate their reputations for the incredible and malicious harm they have suffered."
Shapley and Ziegler allege that they acted in accordance with whistleblower statutes when they exposed what they believed to be conflicts of interest, preferential treatment, and political motivations interfering with the criminal tax investigation of Hunter Biden.
The whistleblowers claim that Lowell "falsely and maliciously" accused them of committing crimes, specifically the illegal disclosure of grand jury materials and taxpayer return information. They assert that they never publicly discussed information that was not already in the public domain.
The lawsuit cites several instances of alleged defamation, including a letter Lowell sent to congressional committees on September 14, 2023. In this letter, Shapley and Ziegler claim Lowell falsely accused them of violating grand jury secrecy rules and taxpayer confidentiality statutes.
Another instance mentioned in the complaint involves Lowell releasing communications from Biden's legal team to the media. These communications included accusations that one or both of the whistleblowers had leaked information to the press about an ongoing investigation, allegedly in violation of federal law.
The lawsuit comes in the wake of Hunter Biden's recent guilty plea to nine tax charges. The president's son entered an "open plea" without negotiating a deal with prosecutors, leaving sentencing to the discretion of a judge.
Shapley and Ziegler have previously alleged political influence in the Biden probe, which began in 2018. They claim that decisions made throughout the investigation "had the effect of benefiting the subject of the investigation."
Ziegler has stated that Biden "should have been charged with a tax felony, and not only the tax misdemeanor charge." He also alleged that federal investigators "did not follow the ordinary process, slow-walked the investigation, and put in place unnecessary approvals and roadblocks from effectively and efficiently investigating the case."
The lawsuit seeks at least $10 million in damages for each whistleblower. This legal action highlights the ongoing controversy surrounding the Hunter Biden investigation and raises questions about the treatment of whistleblowers in high-profile cases.
Hunter Biden currently faces a maximum penalty of 17 years in prison for the tax charges brought against him. He remains free on bond until his sentencing date of December 16, 2024.
The defamation lawsuit filed by Shapley and Ziegler against Lowell adds another layer of complexity to the already contentious Hunter Biden case. It underscores the tensions between whistleblower protections and the legal strategies employed by defense attorneys in high-profile investigations. As the case unfolds, it may have implications for how whistleblowers are treated in politically sensitive investigations and the boundaries of attorney conduct in defending high-profile clients.
