Hunter Biden sued the Internal Revenue Service on Monday, alleging its agents illegally released his tax information and that the agency failed to protect his private records.President Joe Biden鈥檚 son alleges the IRS unlawfully disclosed his tax return information and did not establish safeguards to ensure the confidentiality of his records. He is seeking, among other things, all documents involving the disclosure of the tax information, $1,000 for each unauthorized disclosure and attorneys fees.The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., does not name the two IRS agents turned whistleblowers as defendants. But the lawsuit is centered on disclosures made by the agents, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, and their lawyers in public statements, congressional testimony, and interviews.Judge Timothy Kelly, a Donald Trump appointee, has been assigned to the case.It鈥檚 being filed amid a swirl of other legal issues facing Hunter Biden, who was indicted by special counsel David Weiss on three felony gun charges last week and is potentially facing additional tax charges by Weiss.鈥淒espite clear warnings from Congress that they were prohibited from disclosing the contents of their testimony to the public in another forum, Mr. Shapley and Mr. Ziegler鈥檚 testimony only emboldened their media campaign against Mr. Biden,鈥� the lawsuit states. 鈥淎nd finally, since their public testimony before the House of Representatives on July 19, 2023, the agents have become regular guests on national media outlets and have made new allegations and public statements regarding Mr. Biden鈥檚 confidential tax return information that were not previously included in their transcripts before the Committee on Ways and Means.鈥漇pecifically, Hunter Biden鈥檚 attorneys point to details Shapley shared in an interview with CBS News that aired in late June. During the interview, Shapley alleged that Biden took certain personal expenses as business expenses, including 鈥減rostitutes, sex club memberships, hotel rooms for purported drug dealers,鈥� and that Biden owed $2.2 million in unpaid taxes, the lawsuit alleges.Shapley鈥檚 attorneys called the lawsuit a 鈥渇rivolous smear鈥� and said the agents only discussed information allowed under the statute. Ziegler鈥檚 attorney said the lawsuit is an effort to 鈥渄istract from the ever-growing evidence that supports the testimony of the two IRS whistleblowers.鈥漈he IRS said it does not comment on pending litigation.鈥淭he lawsuit is about the decision by IRS employees, their representatives, and others to disregard their obligations and repeatedly and intentionally publicly disclose and disseminate Mr. Biden鈥檚 protected tax return information outside the exceptions for making disclosures in the law,鈥� the lawsuit alleges.The suit adds: 鈥淭hese agents鈥� putative 鈥榳histleblower鈥� status cannot and does not shield them from their wrongful conduct in making unauthorized public disclosures that are not permitted by the whistleblower process. In fact, a 鈥榳histleblower鈥� is supposed to uncover government misconduct, not the details of that employee鈥檚 opinion about the alleged wrongdoing of a private person.鈥漈he lawsuit alleges Shapley and Ziegler went beyond confirming the investigation into Hunter Biden鈥檚 taxes and provided specific allegations, the amount of deductions taken and liabilities owed for tax years.Tensions have been rising in the investigation. On Friday, Shapley鈥檚 lawyers issued a statement saying Hunter Biden鈥檚 attorneys have tried to get the Justice Department to retaliate against their clients for making disclosures protected under whistleblower rules.鈥淭axpayer privacy laws are written by Congress, and it gave itself authority in those laws to hear disclosures about taxpayer information,鈥� Shapley鈥檚 attorney said in a statement on Friday.The IRS agents went public with their allegations concerning the Justice Department鈥檚 handling of investigation into Hunter Biden earlier this year.In June, the Justice Department announced it had reached a deal with Hunter Biden in which he would plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors for failing to pay his taxes on time in 2017 and 2018. He had also reached a deal to avoid prosecution on a gun possession charge, but the deal fell apart after a federal judge prodded its structure.After the judge would not sign off on the deal, talks broke down between Weiss鈥� office and Hunter Biden鈥檚 attorneys. Weiss asked for special counsel status.After the judge would not sign off on the deal, talks broke down between U.S. attorney David Weiss鈥� office and Hunter Biden鈥檚 attorneys. Weiss asked for special counsel status.
WASHINGTON — Hunter Biden sued the Internal Revenue Service on Monday, alleging its agents illegally released his tax information and that the agency failed to protect his private records.
President Joe Biden鈥檚 son alleges the IRS unlawfully disclosed his tax return information and did not establish safeguards to ensure the confidentiality of his records. He is seeking, among other things, all documents involving the disclosure of the tax information, $1,000 for each unauthorized disclosure and attorneys fees.
The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., does not name the two IRS agents turned whistleblowers as defendants. But the lawsuit is centered on disclosures made by the agents, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, and their lawyers in public statements, congressional testimony, and interviews.
Judge Timothy Kelly, a Donald Trump appointee, has been assigned to the case.
It鈥檚 being filed amid a swirl of other legal issues facing Hunter Biden, who was indicted by special counsel David Weiss on three felony gun charges last week and is potentially facing additional tax charges by Weiss.
鈥淒espite clear warnings from Congress that they were prohibited from disclosing the contents of their testimony to the public in another forum, Mr. Shapley and Mr. Ziegler鈥檚 testimony only emboldened their media campaign against Mr. Biden,鈥� the lawsuit states. 鈥淎nd finally, since their public testimony before the House of Representatives on July 19, 2023, the agents have become regular guests on national media outlets and have made new allegations and public statements regarding Mr. Biden鈥檚 confidential tax return information that were not previously included in their transcripts before the Committee on Ways and Means.鈥�
Specifically, Hunter Biden鈥檚 attorneys point to details Shapley shared in an interview with CBS News that aired in late June. During the interview, Shapley alleged that Biden took certain personal expenses as business expenses, including 鈥減rostitutes, sex club memberships, hotel rooms for purported drug dealers,鈥� and that Biden owed $2.2 million in unpaid taxes, the lawsuit alleges.
Shapley鈥檚 attorneys called the lawsuit a 鈥渇rivolous smear鈥� and said the agents only discussed information allowed under the statute. Ziegler鈥檚 attorney said the lawsuit is an effort to 鈥渄istract from the ever-growing evidence that supports the testimony of the two IRS whistleblowers.鈥�
The IRS said it does not comment on pending litigation.
Anadolu Agency
An infographic titled "Records of payments to Hunter Biden by Russian and Kazakh oligarchs released in the US" is created in Ankara, Turkiye on Aug. 10, 2023.
鈥淭he lawsuit is about the decision by IRS employees, their representatives, and others to disregard their obligations and repeatedly and intentionally publicly disclose and disseminate Mr. Biden鈥檚 protected tax return information outside the exceptions for making disclosures in the law,鈥� the lawsuit alleges.
The suit adds: 鈥淭hese agents鈥� putative 鈥榳histleblower鈥� status cannot and does not shield them from their wrongful conduct in making unauthorized public disclosures that are not permitted by the whistleblower process. In fact, a 鈥榳histleblower鈥� is supposed to uncover government misconduct, not the details of that employee鈥檚 opinion about the alleged wrongdoing of a private person.鈥�
The lawsuit alleges Shapley and Ziegler went beyond confirming the investigation into Hunter Biden鈥檚 taxes and provided specific allegations, the amount of deductions taken and liabilities owed for tax years.
Tensions have been rising in the investigation. On Friday, Shapley鈥檚 lawyers issued a statement saying Hunter Biden鈥檚 attorneys have tried to get the Justice Department to retaliate against their clients for making disclosures protected under whistleblower rules.
鈥淭axpayer privacy laws are written by Congress, and it gave itself authority in those laws to hear disclosures about taxpayer information,鈥� Shapley鈥檚 attorney said in a statement on Friday.
The IRS agents went public with their allegations concerning the Justice Department鈥檚 handling of investigation into Hunter Biden earlier this year.
After the judge would not sign off on the deal, talks broke down between Weiss鈥� office and Hunter Biden鈥檚 attorneys. Weiss asked for special counsel status.
After the judge would not sign off on the deal, talks broke down between U.S. attorney 鈥� office and Hunter Biden鈥檚 attorneys. Weiss asked for .