An IRS whistleblower who came forward to testify before Congress Wednesday confirmed claims by House Republicans that Hunter Biden and his companies raked in over $17 million from foreign sources over several years, beginning while his father was vice president.
The House Oversight Committee interviewed two IRS whistleblowers alleging political misconduct throughout the Hunter Biden investigation: special agent Joseph Ziegler, whose identity was revealed during the hearing, and his IRS supervisor Gary Shapley, who previously blew the whistle on alleged political influence surrounding prosecutorial decisions throughout the years-long federal probe into the president's son.
Ziegler told Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., that Hunter Biden, his family members and business associates received over $17 million due to business dealings in China, Ukraine and Romania.
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Those deals included multi-million dollar payments to Biden family-linked companies from 2014 to 2019, including $7.3 million from Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings.
"This brings the total amount of foreign income streams received to approximately $17 million, correct?" Comer asked Ziegler.
"That is correct," Ziegler responded.
"The purpose of documenting the foreign sources is part of a normal international tax investigation," Ziegler said. "We have to figure out where the money is coming from."
Comer argued the foreign payments demonstrate an "influence peddling scheme to enrich the Bidens."
"Despite creating many companies after vice president took office, the Biden family used associates companies to receive millions of dollars from foreign companies in China, Ukraine and Romania after foreign companies sent money to business associates companies," the chairman said. "The Bidens then received incremental payments over time to various different bank accounts. These complicated financial transactions were used deliberately to conceal the source of funds and total amounts. No normal business operates like this."
Ziegler, who identified himself as a gay Democrat with more than a dozen years serving within the IRS' criminal investigative division, appeared for the first time publicly Wednesday, while Shapley testified last month.
The whistleblowers allege that officials at the Justice Department, FBI and IRS interfered in the investigation into Hunter Biden, and that decisions in the case were influenced by politics.
