House Republicans are examining whether the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) played a role in the retaliation and smear campaign against IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler after they brought their claims to Congress accusing the Hunter Biden investigation of political interference.
In a letter from House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, the legislators are requesting a briefing to investigate potential improper influence related to the IRS whistleblowers' claims currently pending before the OSC.
The lawmakers emphasized that thanks to the courage and integrity of the whistleblowers, steps towards accountability were finally being made, noting that Shapley and Ziegler have faced significant retaliation for their actions.
Shapley led the IRS’s portion of the Biden investigation. Ziegler is a 13-year special agent in the IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division. They both claim that political influence affected prosecutorial decisions in the Biden investigation, which started in 2018. Shapley asserted that decisions throughout the investigation benefited the subject of the investigation.
Ziegler argued that Biden should have faced a tax felony charge rather than just a tax misdemeanor charge, and that communications reviewed by investigators may contradict Biden’s statements about his non-involvement in Hunter’s overseas business dealings. He also claimed that federal investigators “did not follow standard procedures, delayed the investigation, and imposed unnecessary approvals and obstacles,” including blocking certain inquiries and interviews with Biden’s adult children.
Fox News Digital exclusively obtained the letter addressed to OSC Acting Principal Deputy Special Counsel Karen Gorman, informing her of their investigation into whether the OSC “has contributed by action and/or inaction to retaliation” against Shapley and Ziegler. The House Republican leadership and committee chairs requested a briefing to “better understand OSC’s actions and ensure no improper influence on OSC’s investigation.”
Both Shapley and Ziegler have whistleblower retaliation claims pending before the OSC.
The Republicans mentioned that in March, Weiss filed a redacted document related to the whistleblowers with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. They highlighted that the wording and redactions led to media speculation about whether the whistleblowers themselves were under investigation for wrongdoing but stated they have information proving Shapley and Ziegler “are not under investigation.”
Last month, Shapley and Ziegler sought an inspector general investigation into Weiss, alleging he “misrepresented and obscured” information, intensifying concerns on Capitol Hill about the Biden family's conduct and alleged Justice Department politicization.
The OSC confirmed receipt of the letter but declined to comment.
Read the letter here.
