Two IRS whistleblowers who faced retaliation for exposing political interference in the Hunter Biden tax case have been tapped to lead internal investigations at the Treasury Department. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Tuesday that Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler will serve as senior advisors, focusing on corruption and reform within the IRS.
Shapley and Ziegler played critical roles in bringing forward evidence that the IRS, under pressure from Biden administration officials, mishandled the Hunter Biden investigation. Their testimony before Congress revealed that Justice Department officials blocked normal investigative procedures, including search warrants and interviews. These disclosures helped derail a plea deal that would have shielded Hunter Biden from serious tax charges.
Sec. Scott Bessent Says He Promoted IRS Whistleblowers to Leadership Roles at the Treasury Department
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Bessent, in an interview with Fox Business, explained his reasoning for hiring the two whistleblowers. “We’ll learn what’s been going on at the IRS, what’s been wrong and how this Hunter Biden nonsense happened,” he said. Shapley will take on the role of senior deputy for investigations and enforcement.
The decision comes after the Office of Special Counsel found that the IRS had illegally retaliated against Shapley and Ziegler. The OSC report concluded that both men had been improperly removed from the Biden case, given gag orders and stripped of key responsibilities. Investigators found no valid reason for their reassignment, calling it an attempt to silence them.
Shapley and Ziegler released a joint statement thanking Bessent for giving them the opportunity to bring accountability to the agency. “We appreciate the opportunity to use our skills and firsthand knowledge to further the administration’s work to root out waste and fraud,” they said.
Tristan Leavitt of Empower Oversight, a government watchdog group representing the whistleblowers, called the move a step toward real reform. He noted that Shapley and Ziegler’s deep understanding of the IRS’s inner workings will be instrumental in uncovering abuses within the agency.
House Republicans have repeatedly raised concerns about the IRS’s role in protecting politically connected individuals. With Shapley and Ziegler now leading investigations, their findings could have major implications for the agency’s future.
