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After Retaliation, IRS Whistleblowers Who Called Out Hunter Biden Get Big Promotions [WATCH]

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The IRS whistleblowers who exposed political meddling in the Hunter Biden tax investigation are finally getting their due.

As The New York Post reported [1], Gary Shapley and Joe Ziegler, who blew the lid off the sweetheart deal shielding the president’s son, have been rewarded with leadership positions at the Treasury Department after enduring two years of retaliation.

Shapley and Ziegler will now serve as senior advisers to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, where they will play a critical role in reforming the IRS over the next year.

Afterward, they will transition into permanent senior leadership roles within the agency, ensuring accountability and much-needed oversight.

“This is a win for every whistleblower out there. Gary and I will continue to do everything in our power to promote the truth, support whistleblowers, and weed out the bad actors who have undermined democracy.”

Shapley echoed that sentiment, saying:

“We will be in a great position to assist the administration in effecting its goals. The winners will be the American people.”

Treasury Secretary Bessent praised their appointment, stating:

“I am pleased to welcome Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler to the @USTreasury [4] Department, where they will help us drive much-needed cultural reform within the IRS. These veteran civil servants join us to help further the agency’s focus on collections, modernization, and customer service. I appreciate Sen. @ChuckGrassley [5]‘s efforts in Congress to support whistleblower protections in order to improve transparency, accountability and root out the culture of retaliation.”

Shapley and Ziegler were abruptly removed from the Hunter Biden case in December 2022 after they exposed how the Department of Justice and then-Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss obstructed their investigation.

Their findings included evidence of search warrants being blocked, Hunter Biden’s attorneys being tipped off, and the statute of limitations expiring on serious charges.

Image Credit: © Jasper Colt-USA TODAY [8]
Dec 5, 2023; Washington, D.C., USA; IRS special agent Gary Shapley (left) and IRS agent Joseph Ziegler (right) wait to testify before the House Ways and Means Committee Hearing with IRS Whistleblowers: Hunter Biden investigation obstruction in their own words. on Dec. 5, 2023 in Washington.. Mandatory Credit: Jasper Colt-USA TODAY

Their disclosures led to swift retribution. According to their legal team, the men were “isolated, frozen out of career advancement, and scrutinized relentlessly.” As whistleblower attorney Jason Foster put it, “Work life became hell.”

They both spoke with Catherine Herridge in an interview.

“I’m not a wealthy person. I’m just like anyone out there. I live paycheck to paycheck. I’m surviving as best as I can, and it’s tough. I’m up against a machine that…”

IRS whistleblowers allege the agency retaliated against them after they came forward in the Hunter Biden case.

“I’m not a wealthy person. I’m just like anyone out there. I live paycheck to paycheck. I’m surviving as best as I can, and it’s tough. I’m up against a machine that… https://t.co/3jowOAy1vd [9] pic.twitter.com/06DKhudcly [10]

— Catherine Herridge (@C__Herridge) October 30, 2024 [11]

Senator Chuck Grassley, a longtime advocate for government transparency, played a crucial role in pushing for Shapley and Ziegler’s appointments.

In a private letter last month, he urged Bessent to place them in leadership roles within the IRS, praising their “bravery, courage, expertise, and integrity.”

“Their elevation sends a clear signal that pointing out wrongdoing is an honorable thing to do,” Grassley stated.

Shapley and Ziegler have formally identified six IRS executives who they claim retaliated against them, filing an official complaint with the Merit Systems Protection Board.

NEW: The two Hunter Biden IRS whistleblowers, Gary Shapley and Joe Ziegler, have been promoted to leadership positions at the Treasury Department.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessentt: “I went and decided I would bring them into Treasury, give them a year to investigate the… pic.twitter.com/qJdCpC4bWX [12]

— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) March 18, 2025 [13]

Meanwhile, the Office of Special Counsel recently found that the IRS had wrongly retaliated against them, further vindicating their claims.

Hunter [14] Biden’s legal troubles continue to mount. His plea deal collapsed, leading to tax fraud charges in California, to which he pleaded guilty last year.

Additionally, he was convicted of gun felonies in Delaware. His father stepped in with a controversial pardon in December, covering any offenses Hunter may have committed since January 1, 2014.

With Shapley and Ziegler now positioned to clean up the mess within the IRS, it remains to be seen how far-reaching their reforms will be.

What’s clear is that their resilience has paid off, and the American people might finally see a tax agency that works for them—not for the politically connected.