A top IRS official involved in the government’s investigation into Hunter Biden recommended that whistleblower Gary Shapley be removed from the investigative team and noted complaints that investigators were “limited” in what they could ask witnesses, according to congressional testimony.
IRS Special Agent in Charge Darrell Waldon told the House Ways and Means Committee in closed testimony Friday that he recommended Shapley’s removal because of “perceived” bias, according to Fox News.
“So before I leave the special agent in office, in February, I recommend to [IRS director of field operations Michael Batdorf] that Gary Shapley was eliminated as [supervisory special agent] from the Hunter Biden investigation, primarily due to what I consider to be baseless allegations of motive, intent, bias,” Waldon said.
“And, again, my goal is to protect the integrity of the investigation and find a way forward.”
The Post reported in May that “the entire investigative team” of the IRS had been removed from the Hunter Biden tax fraud investigation in alleged retaliation against Shapley that was made public.
“This move is clearly retaliatory and may even be an obstruction of a congressional investigation,” Shapley’s attorney told congressional leaders at the time.
A top IRS official involved in the government’s investigation into Hunter Biden recommended that whistleblower Gary Shapley be removed from the investigative team.REUTERS
Waldon denied playing a role in Shapley’s removal from the investigation, stating in his testimony that he was the special agent in charge between “April 2021 to February 2023.”
“The DOJ will communicate their options, and then we’ll have that conversation,” he said in general about how the decision to reassign IRS investigators was made.
Waldon said “No” when asked if he thought the investigation was politicized, though he described it as “sensitive.”
Waldon supported Shapley’s claim that he objected that his investigative duties in the investigation were limited.
“Yes. Or I should say at least what they can ask in an interview, is my general awareness,” Waldon said when asked if Shapley complained that he and his team were “limited in who they could interview.”
IRS Special Agent in Charge Darrell Waldon told the House Ways and Means Committee in closed testimony Friday that he recommended Shapley’s removal because of “perceived” bias, according to Fox News.handout
He also confirmed that there was “discussion” about Shapley’s team being “prevented from requesting certain interviews with Hunter Biden’s relatives,” but did not recall any specific requests being denied.
When asked about Shapley’s claim that Delaware US Attorney David Weiss was told he could not bring charges against Hunter Biden in Washington, DC, or California for alleged 2014 and 2015 tax fraud, Waldon told the House Ways and Means Committee that a case was “presented” to DC US Attorney Matthew Graves but his office “did not agree to proceed with the case.”
“There’s a process that Mr. Weiss has to go through with the Department of Justice, and that’s my basic understanding,” Waldon said of what Weiss would have to do to bring the case against the first son in California and DC.
Waldon was one of several senior-level managers from the IRS, the FBI and the Delaware US Attorney’s Office named by Shapley as having attended the Oct. 7 meeting. 2022, in which Weiss allegedly declared that he was not “the official who decides whether charges are filed” against Hunter Biden.
Waldon said, “I recommend to [IRS director of field operations Michael Batdorf] That Gary Shapley [above] issued as [supervisory special agent] from the Hunter Biden investigation.”CNP/startraksphoto.com
Waldon told GOP investigators that Weiss told him after the meeting that he would never speak to Shapley again.
“Mr. Weiss indicated to me that he would no longer communicate with Mr. Shapley and that he would go directly to me,” Waldon said, recalling a communication from the Delaware US attorney sent later that month.
Shapley told the House Ways and Means Committee in May that the Oct. 7 meeting. 2022, is his “red line” moment in the investigation.
He recalled that the meeting was “very contentious and ended quite awkwardly” and that he expressed to Weiss “some concerns about how this case had been handled from the beginning.”
“It will be my last meeting with United States Attorney Weiss,” Shapley said in his testimony.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
