Staff Reports
Two IRS whistleblowers, Gary Shapley and Joe Ziegler, decided they had enough of playing nice and filed a $20 million lawsuit against Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell. It appears that standing up to the political elite comes at a cost—especially when that elite is the son of the President of the United States. The whistleblowers allege that Lowell retaliated against them with a vindictive fury that only a lawyer for a politically charged client can muster. They claim he made defamatory statements about them, asserting they illegally leaked tax information concerning the President’s son.
In a bold move that looks like it’s straight out of a courtroom drama, each whistleblower is demanding a cool $10 million. Their lawsuit filed in D.C. district court argues that they are merely seeking to “vindicate their reputations,” a noble cause considering the horrific character assassination they are claiming they’ve endured at the hands of Lowell’s legal team. It’s a classic case of the little guys versus a powerful figure trying to silence them, and it’s hard not to root for the underdogs in this battle.
IRS whistleblowers sue Hunter Biden’s attorney for $20 million, claim ‘malicious harm’https://t.co/kYvM1j3I5V pic.twitter.com/Jr0gwgA7uJ
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) September 16, 2024
Shapley and Ziegler have claimed that their actions were driven by a sense of honor, integrity, and a desperate need to expose the blatant conflicts of interest that permeate Hunter Biden’s tax investigation. Instead of being heralded as heroes, they were allegedly met with a barrage of slanderous claims from Lowell, who apparently decided that attacking the messengers would be easier than addressing the underlying issues. The lawsuit asserts that the whistleblowers were conscientious in their adherence to the law while exposing what they saw as preferential treatment—specifically, the ongoing political motivations that seemed to favor Hunter.
In the unfortunate realm of taxpayer dollars and political favors, Shapley and Ziegler argue they never breathed a word of sensitive information not already in the public domain, yet low and behold, they became targets of accusations that made them look like villains straight out of a bad movie. The alleged defamatory statements from Lowell included a letter where he didn’t just accuse them but seemingly ensured the media received a front-row seat to this legal spectacle. It seems the courtroom isn’t the only stage of this drama, with media play becoming part of the strategy.
Meanwhile, Hunter Biden recently pleaded guilty to nine counts of tax evasion, tossing aside the famed “sweetheart deal” that fell apart thanks to the duo’s whistleblower actions. With sentencing looming, it’s now up to the courts to decide whether Hunter’s legal woes will lead him down a long, inconvenient road, or if he’ll manage to sidestep justice like so many have witnessed with other members of the political elite. Regardless, Shapley and Ziegler have thrown down the gauntlet, and now the world can watch to see if justice still holds any weight in this highly-charged political atmosphere.
