IRS agent alleges Hunter Biden inquiry is being mishandled

WASHINGTON —  An Internal Revenue Service special agent is seeking whistleblower protection to disclose information on what the agent alleges is mishandling of an investigation into President Biden’s son Hunter, according to a letter sent to members of Congress.

Mark Lytle, a lawyer for the IRS agent, wrote to lawmakers Wednesday that his client has information about a “failure to mitigate clear conflicts of interest in the
ultimate disposition” of an inquiry related to Hunter Biden’s taxes and whether he made a false statement about a gun purchase.

“Despite serious risks of retaliation, my client is offering to provide you with information ... necessary to exercise your constitutional oversight function and wishes to make the disclosures in a nonpartisan manner to the leadership of the relevant committees on both sides of the political aisle,” Lytle said in a letter to the chairs and ranking members of several House and Senate committees.

The letter says the supervisory special agent had disclosed the information to the IRS and to a Justice Department watchdog. Lytle said his client could contradict testimony an unnamed “senior political appointee” gave to lawmakers.

The agent also wants to disclose “examples of preferential treatment and politics improperly infecting decisions and protocols ... that would normally be followed by career law enforcement professionals,” his lawyer added.

The Justice Department declined to comment, and Hunter Biden’s legal team had no immediate comment Thursday. The IRS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hunter Biden’s taxes and overseas business have been under investigation by a federal grand jury in Delaware since at least 2018. His membership on a Ukrainian energy company’s board and his efforts to cut deals in China have raised questions from Republicans about whether he traded on his father’s public offices.

The president has said he never spoke with his son about foreign business, and there is no indication that the federal inquiry involves the elder Biden.

Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland said last month that he wouldn’t interfere with the Justice Department’s probe.

He told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he’d left the matter in the hands of U.S. Atty. David Weiss, the top federal prosecutor in Delaware, who may expand his investigation outside the state if needed.

House Republicans have opened their own investigations into nearly every facet of Hunter Biden’s business dealings, including examining foreign payments and other aspects of his finances.

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said the whistleblower letter is further evidence of the importance of congressional inquiry into the president and his family.

“It’s deeply concerning that the Biden Administration may be obstructing justice by blocking efforts to charge Hunter Biden for tax violations,” Comer said in a statement Thursday.