Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, departs federal court after a plea hearing on two misdemeanor charges of willfully failing to pay income taxes in Wilmington, Delaware, July 26, 2023.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
Hunter Biden filed a lawsuit Monday accusing IRS agents of “repeatedly and intentionally” publicly sharing his private tax return information while they criminally investigate him.
Those agents “have targeted and sought to embarrass Mr. Biden” by disclosing confidential details about his private tax matters to the media, the president’s son alleged within the civil suit in federal court in Washington, D.C.
Biden wants a court to declare that the IRS unlawfully revealed his tax matters and award him $1,000 in damages for every unauthorized disclosure.
The lawsuit comes days after Biden, 53, was indicted on three criminal counts related to his possession of a handgun.
Biden had neared a plea take care of prosecutors on misdemeanor charges that he didn’t pay federal taxes on greater than $1.5 million annually in 2017 and 2018, in addition to a separate pretrial diversion agreement related to the gun matter. But the entire arrangement fell apart during a dramatic court hearing in July.
Biden’s attorney insisted in Monday’s court filing that the brand new lawsuit against the IRS “isn’t in regards to the legitimacy of the IRS investigation of Mr. Biden over the past five years or any decision to penalize Mr. Biden for any failure to comply together with his obligations under the tax laws.”
The 27-page criticism singles out two IRS agents, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, and their lawyers for allegedly “engaging in a campaign to publicly smear Mr. Biden” by disclosing his tax information in greater than 20 nationally televised interviews and multiple public statements.
Shapley and Ziegler had improved as whistleblowers to accuse the Department of Justice of misconduct related to the yearslong tax probe of President Joe Biden’s son. But their conduct prolonged beyond the bounds of their whistleblower status, Hunter Biden’s attorney alleged.
That attorney, Abbe Lowell, also sent a letter Monday morning to House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., difficult claims that Hunter Biden owed large tax amounts during certain years, including 2018.
“I’m writing to let you already know that your agents and you might be fallacious,” Lowell wrote. “Pending final development of facts impacting Mr. Biden’s 2018 tax yr, it appears Mr. Biden will likely be due a refund for that tax yr.”
That is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
