IRS whistleblower identified, will testify Friday to Congress

The IRS whistleblower who alleges there has been political interference in the Justice Department's investigation of Hunter Biden will testify to the House Ways and Means Committee behind closed doors on Friday, Just the News has learned.

Supervisory Criminal Investigative Agent Gary Shapley will be allowed to talk about the specifics of what has happened in the five-year long investigation of the first son.

Before Wednesday, Shapley's name had been protected as part of his whistleblower complaint, but multiple sources confirmed his identity to Just the News and said the agent was planning to do a brief interview with a television network in the next 24 hours.

He first approached the IRS internal watchdog last year with the help of whistleblower attorney Mark Zaid.

Shapley has alleged that federal prosecutors have engaged in "preferential treatment and politics" to prevent charges from being brought against the president's son. He has further filed a formal complaint with the Office of Special Counsel, contending that he was sidelined from the case after he made protected disclosures and was passed over promotion despite being the most qualified candidate.

His current attorneys disclosed to Congress last week that Shapley and his entire team had been formally removed from the case by the Department of Justice in what they described as another act of retaliation.

Shapley is represented by former DOJ lawyer Mark Lytle and former congressional investigator Tristan Leavitt, who now serves as president of Empower Oversight. The pair wrote to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel earlier this week, calling his attention to a separate communication sent to him by one of Shapley's subordinates, whom the DOJ also removed from the case.

In that communication, Shapley's subordinate case agent appeared to indicate that the pair's efforts to call attention to pervasive problems affecting the investigation have gone on for much longer, saying "[f]or the last couple years, my SSA and I have tried to gain the attention of our senior leadership about certain issues prevalent regarding the investigation."

"I have asked for countless meetings with our chief and deputy chief, often to be left out on an island and not heard from. The lack of IRS-CI senior leadership involvement is deeply troubling and unacceptable," the case agent told Werfel.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.