The Trump administration has hired IRS whistleblowers as part of its “reform” efforts.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed on X, that former IRS agents Gary Shapley, and Joseph Ziegler who alleged a covering up of Hunter Biden’s tax crimes had been hired as senior advisors.
Bessent, in a Tuesday morning X article, wrote: “I’m pleased to welcome Gary Shapley & Joseph Ziegler into the @USTreasury Department where they will assist us with much-needed culture reform within the IRS.”
These veteran civil servants will help us further our focus on collections and modernization. They also want to improve customer service. I applaud [Iowa Republican] Senator @ChuckGrassley’s efforts in Congress in support of whistleblower rights in order to improve accountability, and transparency and root out the culture of retaliation.
Grassley urged Shapley and Ziegler to be hired to leadership positions.
In a written statement, Grassley said: “As noted in my last-month letter to Secretary Bessent, if whistleblowers are reinstated who have suffered retaliation, this will send a strong signal that pointing to wrongdoings is an honorable thing to be doing. It will change the culture in our bureaucracy. I am very grateful that Secretary Bessent supported Gary and Joe. I have no doubts they will be a great asset to the Treasury Department when they take on their new roles.”
“Gary Shapley, Joe Ziegler, and others put their careers on the table to speak out for the truth. Instead of thanking them, the Biden Administration treated them like skunks on a picnic.”
“Many whistleblowers have experienced a similar form of retaliation. I hope that today’s story is just the beginning of many more redemption stories for whistleblowers mistreated. By standing up for whistleblowers President Trump and his cabinet are ushering a new era in transparency and accountability.”
Shapley, Ziegler, and their joint statement.
They wrote: “We are grateful for the leadership and trust of Secretary Bessent and Sen. Grassley as well as all members of Congress. We were motivated by a single mantra: Do what’s right and do it right. Although it hasn’t been easy, having a clean conscience is worth all the effort.”
We appreciate the chance Secretary Bessent gives us to use our firsthand experience and knowledge for the American public to eliminate waste and reform the IRS.
Shapley and Ziegler, during a hearing of a House Committee in July 2023 testified that the Justice Department under President Joe Biden effectively obstructed its criminal investigation into Hunter Biden’s tax crimes.
The lawmakers said that the Biden DOJ “slow-walked the charges” when they recommended misdemeanor and felony charges to U.S. Attorney David Weiss. This allowed the statute of limitations to expire and left them with a “sweetheart’ plea deal for a misdemeanor.
The two whistleblowers revealed to Catherine Herridge, an investigative reporter, that the DOJ and FBI knew immediately the “real” Biden laptop was discovered. Prosecutors also told investigators to refrain from asking questions about Joe Biden before the 2020 elections.
Shapley was Ziegler’s supervisor in the Hunter Biden criminal tax investigation. Ziegler was the special agent in charge of the probe.
The FBI recovered and authenticated the infamous “laptop of hell”, which was abandoned at a Delaware computer shop by Hunter Biden, first son.
The New York Post reported on the abandoned laptop in October 2020. It included influence-peddling and drug use.
Mainstream media, government officials, and social media companies refused to accept the authenticity of this laptop. Instead, they said it was part of Russian disinformation.