Hunter Biden Dismisses IRS Lawsuit With Prejudice

Hunter Biden abruptly dropped his lawsuit against IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joe Ziegler, leaving many to wonder why the president’s son abandoned his legal fight after claiming the agents improperly disclosed his confidential tax information.

Quick Takes

Hunter Biden dismissed his lawsuit against IRS whistleblowers with prejudice, meaning he cannot refile the case in the future
The lawsuit had alleged that IRS agents Shapley and Ziegler improperly disclosed confidential tax information to the media
Both whistleblowers claimed the lawsuit was an attempt to intimidate them for exposing preferential treatment in Hunter Biden’s tax investigation
Hunter Biden had previously pleaded guilty to tax charges before receiving a pardon from his father in December 2024
The dismissal came after Biden’s own attorneys filed a motion to withdraw from the case

Whistleblowers Claim Vindication in Lawsuit Dismissal

The lawsuit against IRS agents Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler came to an abrupt end when Hunter Biden voluntarily dismissed his claims with prejudice. Filed in September 2023, Biden’s lawsuit had accused the agents of unlawfully sharing his confidential tax information with media outlets in an effort to embarrass him. The dismissal contains no explanation for Biden’s decision to abandon the case, but prevents him from bringing the same allegations against the agents in the future.

“It’s always been clear that the lawsuit was an attempt to intimidate us. However, we were always motivated by doing the right thing, defending our work, and honoring our duty to the American people. Intimidation and retaliation were never going to work. We truly wanted our day in court to provide the complete story, but it appears Mr. Biden was afraid to actually fight this case in a court of law after all. His voluntary dismissal of the case tells you everything you need to know about who was right and who was wrong,” Shapley and Ziegler stated.

The dismissal followed a motion by Biden’s legal team to withdraw from representing him in the case. This unexpected development occurred after both Shapley and Ziegler had repeatedly claimed the lawsuit was intended to silence them for exposing what they described as government favoritism shown to President Biden’s son during investigations into his tax affairs.

Hunter Biden abruptly drops lawsuit against IRS — a move the whistleblowers say shows ‘everything you need to know’ https://t.co/RwoK0EPsBr #NYP

— The Report App (@TheReportApp) May 1, 2025

History of Tax Issues and Whistleblower Testimony

The legal dispute stems from Shapley and Ziegler’s testimony before Congress, where they alleged that the Department of Justice had deliberately delayed and obstructed the investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes. Both agents had initially raised concerns with their superiors at the IRS before eventually taking their complaints to the Office of Special Counsel and Congress when they felt their concerns were being ignored.

“Hunter Biden brought this lawsuit against two honorable federal agents in retaliation for blowing the whistle on the preferential treatment he was given,” the lawyers said in a statement.

Hunter Biden’s tax troubles have been extensive. In September 2024, he pleaded guilty to nine federal tax charges, admitting he failed to pay approximately $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019. This guilty plea came after a previous plea deal with prosecutors fell apart in July 2023 – a deal that would have granted him immunity in exchange for admitting to misdemeanor tax violations.

Presidential Pardon and Political Implications

The dismissal follows former President Joe Biden’s December 2024 decision to issue a blanket pardon to his son for any crimes or potential criminal activity dating back to 2014. The pardon, which came in the final weeks of the elder Biden’s presidency, also covered five other family members, drawing significant criticism from Republicans who viewed it as an abuse of presidential power.

In an interesting development, President Trump briefly appointed Shapley as acting IRS commissioner early in his administration before replacing him with a permanent appointee. The whistleblowers had become prominent figures in congressional investigations into alleged weaponization of government agencies under the previous administration, with both men claiming they faced retaliation for speaking out against what they perceived as preferential treatment.

Allegations of Investigation Obstruction

At the heart of Shapley and Ziegler’s whistleblower claims were allegations that the Department of Justice under the Biden administration deliberately hindered the investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes and business dealings. During testimony before the House Oversight Committee, both men claimed they were prevented from following standard investigative procedures that would typically be applied in similar cases not involving politically connected individuals.

The dismissal of this lawsuit marks another chapter in the ongoing saga surrounding Hunter Biden’s financial dealings and tax issues. While the legal case against the IRS agents is now concluded, the political ramifications and questions about the handling of Hunter Biden’s investigations continue to reverberate throughout Washington as the Trump administration moves forward with its agenda.