Two IRS investigators have filed a $20 million defamation lawsuit against Hunter Biden’s attorney, claiming malicious retaliation after they exposed Hunter Biden’s tax crimes.
IRS investigators Gary Shapley and Joe Ziegler have accused Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, of defamation following their whistleblowing efforts on Hunter Biden’s alleged tax misconduct, for which he has since pleaded guilty, as the New York Post reports.
The lawsuit, filed in Washington, D.C., alleges that Lowell made defamatory statements about Shapley and Ziegler to the media after the two men revealed details of the investigation into Hunter Biden’s tax affairs. Specifically, the IRS agents claim that Lowell falsely accused them of illegally leaking Hunter Biden’s tax information, a charge they strongly deny.
Shapley and Ziegler contend that Lowell’s accusations were made with clear malice and aimed at damaging their reputations. According to the lawsuit, these statements caused significant harm to both investigators, who believe they acted with integrity in revealing potential conflicts of interest during the investigation of President Biden’s son.
In their court filing, the whistleblowers argue that their decision to come forward was driven by concerns about political interference in the case. They maintain that their role in the investigation was to expose such issues and to ensure that Hunter Biden’s tax case was handled without preferential treatment. The two men are seeking $20 million in damages, claiming that Lowell’s statements led to "incredible and malicious harm" to their personal and professional reputations.
This legal battle comes after a highly publicized breakdown in the plea deal between Hunter Biden and Delaware U.S. attorney David Weiss, a deal that collapsed last year. Shapley and Ziegler’s decision to air concerns about the handling of the investigation is believed to have been a major factor in the collapse of that agreement.
In the lawsuit, Shapley and Ziegler insist they never disclosed any tax return information that wasn’t already public knowledge. They describe themselves as whistleblowers who acted "with honor and integrity" by exposing what they believed were serious issues affecting the integrity of the investigation.
The lawsuit portrays the two IRS investigators as trying to correct what they saw as improper political motivations and preferential treatment influencing the investigation into Hunter Biden’s finances.
The whistleblowers strongly deny any wrongdoing, asserting that they followed all legal protocols in disclosing information related to the case. In fact, they believe Lowell’s accusations were not only false but also intended to discredit their work in the eyes of the public.
The lawsuit points to the significant damage done to Shapley and Ziegler’s reputations as a result of Lowell’s statements, alleging that the attorney’s actions were an attempt to shield Hunter Biden from further scrutiny.
Shapley and Ziegler argue that their reputations have been tarnished by what they describe as an orchestrated effort to undermine their credibility as whistleblowers. They have called Lowell’s comments both false and defamatory. The legal filing in D.C. emphasizes that both men acted ethically and with a sense of duty in bringing their concerns forward, and that they never crossed any legal lines in doing so.
As the case proceeds, it could have significant implications for the wider investigation into Hunter Biden, who last week pleaded guilty to felony tax charges. The plea comes after months of intense scrutiny over his financial dealings and allegations of preferential treatment in the legal process.
Both Shapley and Ziegler continue to assert that their actions were justified, and they are seeking a judgment in their favor to clear their names.
