(Scypre.com) – Two IRS whistleblowers, who had previously testified before Congress regarding the Justice Department’s alleged interference in a tax investigation into Hunter Biden, expressed little surprise over President Joe Biden’s sweeping pardon of his son. The whistleblowers, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, shared their thoughts in an exclusive interview with Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum on The Story—their first public comments since the pardon was announced.
Whistleblowers Speak Out
Gary Shapley, an IRS supervisory special agent, described the pardon as anticipated. “I wasn’t surprised at all. This was something that was expected,” Shapley stated during the interview. He suggested that the actions of Hunter Biden’s legal team foreshadowed the decision. “You can tell by the maneuvering of defense counsel that this was on the horizon. And, you know, the thing that’s surprising is that the President of the United States lied to the American people about what he was going to do.”
President Biden had previously denied that he would pardon his son, who pleaded guilty in September to nine charges, including three felony tax offenses and six misdemeanor tax offenses. In June, Hunter Biden was also convicted of three felonies related to an illegal firearm purchase.
Biden’s Defense of the Pardon
On Sunday, President Biden issued a full and unconditional pardon for his son, citing what he called unfair and selective prosecution. The pardon covers any offenses Hunter Biden may have committed between 2014 and 2024. In a statement released by the White House, Biden argued, “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son – and that is wrong. There has been an effort to break Hunter – who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution.”
Biden further asserted that the scrutiny on Hunter was not only an attack on his son but also a personal affront to him. “In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough,” he said.
Contrasting Perspectives
Joseph Ziegler, a special agent with the IRS’s criminal investigation division, strongly disagreed with Biden’s assertion that Hunter was unfairly targeted. “The claims that his son was ‘singled out’ are completely ludicrous,” Ziegler said. As a Democrat who supports the rule of law, Ziegler emphasized the discrepancy between Hunter Biden’s treatment and the expectations placed on ordinary citizens. “There are thousands of taxpayers who honestly file their taxes and pay on time. They should be disappointed because they’re held to a standard that’s different than the political elite.”
Ziegler expressed his own dismay at the decision. “At the end of the day, I’m disappointed Hunter Biden got a ‘free pass,'” he said.
Bipartisan Criticism
The backlash extended beyond IRS officials, with prominent Democrats also expressing disapproval. Colorado Governor Jared Polis took to social media to voice his concerns, calling the pardon a regrettable precedent. “This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish [Biden’s] reputation,” Polis wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
He added, “Hunter brought the legal trouble he faced on himself, and one can sympathize with his struggles while also acknowledging that no one is above the law, not a President and not a President’s son.”
Broader Implications
The pardon has ignited debate over its legal, ethical, and political ramifications. Critics argue that it undermines the rule of law by granting preferential treatment to the President’s family. Supporters of Biden’s decision contend that Hunter Biden faced relentless scrutiny due to his father’s position and that the pardon was a necessary act of compassion.
As public discourse continues, the issue remains a flashpoint for broader concerns about accountability, fairness, and the influence of political power on the justice system.