(HorizonPost.com) – The chairmen of the three House committees investigating Hunter Biden last Tuesday asked the Justice Department for any communications it received from Hunter’s attorneys about punishing the two IRS whistleblowers who testified to Congress, the Washington Examiner reported.
In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Oversight Chair James Comer, and Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith requested all communications the Justice Department received from Hunter’s lawyers in which they called for the “investigation or prosecution” of IRS whistleblowers Joseph Ziegler and Gary Shapley.
The letter accused Hunter’s legal team of engaging in “a brazen effort to intimidate and harass” the whistleblowers.
The chairmen cite a New York Times report in which the outlet claimed to have reviewed over 200 pages of correspondence between Hunter’s lawyers and special counsel David Weiss.
According to the report, Hunter’s legal team claimed that by disclosing to Congress the details of the yearslong investigation into Hunter’s taxes, the IRS whistleblowers “broke the law and should be prosecuted.”
In their letter, the chairmen also cite a letter Hunter’s attorney Abbe Lowell wrote in June accusing the two IRS investigators of violating federal law when they contacted the House with their concerns about the Justice Department’s handling of its investigation into Hunter Biden.
The chairmen said Lowell slandered Shapley and Ziegler as “disgruntled” IRS agents with an “axe to grind.” They accused the high-profile attorney of trying to intimidate the whistleblowers and reminded Garland that any legal action against Shapley and Ziegler would be considered illegal whistleblower retaliation.
The committee chairmen told Attorney General Garland that they are seeking to “determine the extent” to which Hunter’s legal team has attempted to obstruct the oversight of their committees.
They have given the Justice Department until September 26 to provide the requested communications.
A Justice Department spokesperson confirmed receiving the letter but refused to comment.
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