Politics
Hunter Biden sues IRS in bid to kill - or chill - investigation
By Jake Beardslee · September 19, 2023
In brief…
- Hunter Biden filed a lawsuit against the IRS, alleging privacy rights violations in the handling of his tax investigation.
- IRS whistleblower agents Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler were named as defendants in the lawsuit.
- Biden's legal team is seeking a federal judge to declare that the IRS unlawfully disclosed his confidential tax information and award him $1,000 for each unauthorized disclosure.
- The lawsuit comes less than a week after Hunter Biden was indicted in Delaware federal court.
First son Hunter Biden has filed a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service alleging his privacy rights were violated when agents disclosed concerns about the handling of his tax investigation to Congress and the media.
The 27-page lawsuit, filed in the District of Columbia, names IRS agents Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler as defendants.
Biden’s lawyers contend the agents violated his privacy rights by publicly disclosing confidential tax information during nationally televised interviews and through public statements.
“Mr. Biden has no fewer or lesser rights than any other American citizen, and no government agency or government agent has free rein to violate his rights simply because of who he is,” the lawyers wrote.
The lawsuit comes less than a week after Hunter Biden was indicted in Delaware federal court on charges related to his 2018 purchase of a firearm.
The indictment followed the collapse of a plea deal that would have allowed Biden to plead guilty to a pair of misdemeanor tax charges and avoid prosecution on the gun-possession charge.
Biden’s legal team is seeking a federal judge to declare that the IRS unlawfully disclosed his confidential tax information and award him $1,000 for each unauthorized disclosure, along with other monetary relief. They are also requesting a court order requiring the IRS to implement a data security plan that satisfies the requirements of the Privacy Act.
Special Counsel David Weiss, who was appointed to investigate Biden’s taxes and business dealings, has signaled that he may seek an additional indictment against Biden on tax charges.
The lawsuit has sparked renewed debate about the privacy rights of individuals under investigation by government agencies. While the IRS is authorized to disclose certain information in certain circumstances, lawyers for Biden argue that the whistleblower agents’ actions were a violation of his privacy rights.
“This assault on Mr. Biden’s rights involved the public disclosure of his confidential tax information during more than 20 nationally televised and non-congressionally sanctioned interviews and numerous public statements by Mr. Shapley, Mr. Ziegler, and their counsel in these public appearances,” the lawyers wrote.
The case, which could have implications for future investigations into high-profile individuals , will be closely watched.