Handwritten notes from IRS agent-turned-whistleblower Gary Shapley have surfaced, shedding light on the ongoing controversy surrounding the Hunter Biden investigation. These notes, taken during a meeting on October 7, 2022, with representatives from the FBI and IRS, seem to support Shapley’s previous claims that the U.S. Attorney overseeing the case, David Weiss, felt politically constrained in his decision-making. This article is on IRS Whistleblower’s Handwritten Notes.
The Noteworthy Notes
During the October 7 meeting, Shapley documented that U.S. Attorney David Weiss stated, “He is not the deciding person,” implying that Weiss did not hold ultimate authority in determining key aspects of the Hunter Biden investigation.
These handwritten notes provide a significant addition to the ongoing debate about the extent to which politics may be influencing the investigation into President Biden’s son. Weiss has contradicted Shapley’s testimony, asserting that he was never denied the authority to bring charges in any jurisdiction.
Empower Oversight, a non-profit organization led by former staffers of Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), has provided Shapley’s notes and a letter they sent to the House Judiciary Committee, which is currently investigating the Biden family.
Contemporaneous Documentation
Shapley’s notes are the first written records from a participant in the October 7 meeting to be made public. They represent the only contemporaneous documentation of the meeting available thus far. Notably, two other law enforcement officials who attended the meeting have provided differing accounts and do not recall it the same way as Shapley.
According to Shapley’s lawyers, the notes were taken “during the meeting.” Some portions of the notes are redacted, containing information not previously disclosed by the House Ways and Means Committee, as stated in the letter.
The Controversy Continues
The Hunter Biden investigation took a dramatic turn when Shapley, an IRS supervisory special agent with 14 years of service, alleged that Weiss lacked ultimate authority in crucial decisions regarding the criminal investigation. This assertion directly contradicted Attorney General Merrick Garland’s testimony to Congress, in which Garland claimed that Weiss had the autonomy to handle the case as he saw fit.
In June, Hunter Biden reached a plea deal with the Justice Department, only for it to collapse later due to concerns raised by a judge. Prosecutors intend to charge Hunter Biden with tax crimes in California or Washington, D.C., a move contested by his lawyers as politically motivated, driven partly by whistleblowers like Shapley.
Shapley’s notes shed light on the October 7 meeting, during which one topic of discussion was whether Weiss could charge Hunter Biden with tax crimes outside Delaware, necessitating approval from U.S. Attorneys in those jurisdictions.
The Implications
Shapley’s notes mention U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada’s role in authorizing charges in California. They also touch on Weiss’s request for Special Counsel status in D.C., which was initially denied by the Department of Justice.
Weiss eventually obtained special counsel status, and prosecutors under him plan to seek an indictment of Hunter Biden on gun charges. However, contradictory testimonies from other FBI agents involved in the investigation have added complexity to the ongoing debate about political influences in the case.
The controversy surrounding the Hunter Biden investigation continues, with the veracity of Shapley’s claims at the heart of the debate. The handwritten notes provide an additional layer of evidence in this complex and politically charged situation.
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FAQs about the Hunter Biden IRS Agent’s Handwritten Notes
1. What do the handwritten notes from the IRS agent reveal?
- The handwritten notes from IRS agent Gary Shapley suggest that David Weiss, the Delaware U.S. Attorney leading the Hunter Biden investigation, claimed he was “not the deciding person” regarding the investigation.
2. When were these notes taken?
- The notes were taken during a meeting on October 7, 2022, involving participants from the FBI and the IRS, as indicated by Shapley’s lawyers.
3. Why are these notes significant?
- These notes are significant because they provide the first written documentation from a participant of the October 7 meeting and are central to the ongoing debate about whether the Hunter Biden investigation was influenced by political considerations.
4. Who provided these notes to the public?
- Empower Oversight, a non-profit group led by former staffers to Senator Chuck Grassley, provided the notes to POLITICO and also sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, which is investigating the Biden family.
5. How long has Gary Shapley worked for the IRS?
- Gary Shapley is an IRS supervisory special agent with 14 years of experience working for the agency.
6. What did Shapley allege regarding David Weiss’s authority in the investigation?
- Shapley alleged that Weiss, the U.S. Attorney, stated he did not have ultimate authority in making key decisions about the criminal investigation of Hunter Biden. This contradicted Attorney General Merrick Garland’s testimony that Weiss had the discretion to handle the case as he saw fit.
7. What led to Hunter Biden’s initial plea deal with the Justice Department?
- Hunter Biden reached a plea deal with the Justice Department in June for willfully failing to pay his taxes in 2017 and 2018. However, this plea deal later collapsed after questions were raised by a judge.
8. Why do Hunter Biden’s lawyers argue that charges against him are politically motivated?
- Hunter Biden’s lawyers argue that charges against him are politically motivated due to pressure from Republicans, including whistleblowers like Gary Shapley. Shapley’s testimony played a role in fueling these allegations.
9. What was discussed during the October 7 meeting involving Weiss and law enforcement officials?
- The meeting discussed whether Weiss could charge Hunter Biden with tax crimes in jurisdictions outside Delaware, which typically required approval from the U.S. Attorneys in those jurisdictions.
10. Did David Weiss eventually receive special counsel status?
- Yes, David Weiss received special counsel status from Attorney General Merrick Garland last month. Prosecutors working under him have indicated their intent to seek an indictment of Hunter Biden on gun charges.
11. Did other law enforcement officials who attended the October 7 meeting recall the same details as Gary Shapley?
- No, some other law enforcement officials who attended the meeting testified that they did not remember Weiss saying his authority was constrained during the meeting, and they believed Weiss had the authority to bring charges both within and outside his jurisdiction.
