Gary Shapley, an IRS whistleblower, and his legal representative, Tristan Leavitt, have come forward with allegations of significant interference by the Department of Justice in the tax evasion investigation of Hunter Biden. Testifying before the House Oversight Committee alongside special agent Joseph Ziegler, Shapley detailed what he described as "preferential treatment" afforded to the president's son and "obstruction of the normal investigative process." Leavitt further elaborated on these claims in a subsequent interview, asserting that Biden-appointed officials actively worked to thwart potential prosecution despite initial support from Delaware prosecutors.

According to Leavitt, prosecutors in Delaware were prepared to bring multiple felony charges against Hunter Biden for tax evasion spanning from 2014 to 2019, based on the evidence presented by IRS investigators. However, this course of action was allegedly blocked by politically appointed officials within the DOJ. Leavitt highlighted two distinct phases of interference. Initially, U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf allegedly restricted the scope of the investigation, prohibiting investigators from questioning witnesses about President Biden, issuing search warrants related to him, or interviewing Hunter Biden’s adult children.

Shapley's testimony echoed these claims, alleging that he was specifically instructed to avoid inquiries about "dad" or "the big guy." He asserted that key evidence, such as Hunter Biden's failure to report income from Burisma Holdings in his 2014 tax returns, was overlooked. Shapley further contended that the DOJ hindered their efforts to obtain relevant documents and execute search warrants.

The second stage of alleged interference involved the refusal of two other U.S. Attorneys, Matthew Graves in D.C. and Martin Estrada in Central California, to pursue charges against Hunter Biden, despite recommendations from Weiss. Leavitt pointed out that both Graves, a Biden campaign donor, and Estrada declined to prosecute. This left Weiss, the lead investigator, without the authority to bring charges in Delaware. Shapley’s testimony further claimed that Weiss was continually hampered by DOJ officials in his attempts to make prosecutorial decisions.

These revelations have fueled a congressional investigation led by House Republicans, focusing on allegations of deliberate delays and obstruction in the Hunter Biden probe, including claims of tipping off the president's son and his staff about the ongoing investigation. Despite these accusations, the Justice Department denies any wrongdoing. The ultimate outcome of these allegations and the ongoing investigation remains to be seen.