News/Commentary

McCarthy: Impeachment of AG Merrick Garland will begin by July 6 over IRS whistleblower testimony

June 26, 2023 | | Print Article

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy clarified on “Fox & Friends” Monday that Republicans fully intend to begin impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Merrick Garland by July 6 following the bombshell IRS whistleblower testimony that he interfered in the investigation of Hunter Biden.

IRS whistleblower, Criminal Supervisory Special Agent Gary Shapley Jr., a 14-year veteran of the agency, blew everything wide open last week. He explosively testified that Hunter Biden was given preferential treatment by investigators looking into his tax affairs and lying on his gun permit application.

Shapley testified that a WhatsApp message was sent by Hunter Biden on July 30, 2017, to a Chinese Communist Party official named Henry Zhao. It openly threatened him and ordered the communist official to follow his “orders” and pay up or else, while asserting Joe Biden was with him in the room. Shapley alleges he raised concerns about the WhatsApp message to DOJ prosecutors, who ignored him and obstructed justice over it.

McCarthy flatly stated that US Attorney David Weiss has to appear before the House Judiciary Committee over it. He led the investigation into Hunter Biden and charged him with violating federal tax and gun laws after a 5-year probe.

The only caveat is that impeachment proceedings will move ahead by July 6 if the IRS whistleblower claims check out.

“By July 6, because of the allegations by the IRS, because of the whistleblower, and the DOJ – Garland – what he is saying and what David Weiss is saying privately are two different things,” McCarthy told the show hosts.

ADVERTISEMENT

“And if it comes true what the IRS whistleblower is saying, we’re going to start impeachment inquiries on the attorney general,” he vowed.

He continued by commenting, “What’s interesting is the IRS whistleblower that has no political background, took copious notes, can tell you the date, can tell you the people in the meeting.”

The sticking point in the issue is the discrepancies between what Weiss has said compared to what Garland has stated.

“US Attorney Weiss stated that he subsequently asked for special counsel authority from Main DOJ at that time and was denied that authority,” Shapley testified.

ADVERTISEMENT

Garland defended himself on Friday, contradicting Weiss by saying that Weiss “was given complete authority to make all decisions on his own.”

“I don’t know how it would be possible for anybody to block him from bringing a prosecution,” Garland tersely told reporters. “Some have chosen to attack the integrity of the Justice Department by claiming that we do not treat cases alike. This constitutes an attack on an institution that is essential to American democracy.”

In a statement from his representatives on Friday, Shapley said that on Oct. 7, 2022, Weiss told six witnesses he did not have authority to charge in other districts and had thus requested special counsel status.

Shapley’s version was “independently and contemporaneously corroborated” in a now-public email by the witnesses, the legal team said according to Fox News.

Witnesses include Baltimore FBI Special Agent in Charge Tom Sobocinski and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryeshia Holley, IRS Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gary Shapley, and Special Agent in Charge Darrell Waldon, the legal team contended.

ADVERTISEMENT

McCarthy had previously hinted on Twitter that the House would proceed with impeachment against Garland over the weekend.

“We need to get to the facts, and that includes reconciling these clear disparities. U.S. Attorney David Weiss must provide answers to the House Judiciary Committee,” McCarthy tweeted on Sunday. “If the whistleblowers’ allegations are true, this will be a significant part of a larger impeachment inquiry into Merrick Garland’s weaponization of DOJ.”

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) charged on his “Verdict” podcast that Hunter Biden’s WhatsApp text proves the president’s business ties to the communist Chinese. He’s thrilled at the prospect of Garland being impeached as are many others. McCarthy welcomed Cruz’s statements and his joining the House Republicans’ fight.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Every single day we’re bringing people in,” McCarthy claimed.

“This is why you have the bank statements now. This is why you know about the 1023 This is why you know about WhatsApp. We’re continuing to do our information much different than anybody else,” McCarthy stated, referring to the internal FBI FD-1023 form uncovered by the House Oversight Committee that allegedly says Joe and Hunter Biden each received $5 million in bribes from a Ukrainian foreign national in exchange for policy decisions.

“Now we’ve found the president has lied to us because he said they’ve never dealt with anything in China,” he continued. “Now, the [IRS] whistleblower says that he was in a meeting with the Chinese company as the vice president.”

On Friday, Mark Lytle, a lawyer for Shapley, asserted that his client’s attempts to get to the bottom of the WhatsApp story had been stonewalled by prosecutors.

“The agents wanted to follow up on this and the prosecutors told them not to because, oh, well, maybe Hunter Biden was puffing or something like that,” Lytle remarked, according to the Daily Mail.

Testimony was released on Thursday intimating that the Justice Department, FBI, and IRS interfered with the investigation of the tax evasion case against Hunter Biden.

Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) who chairs the committee, claimed that the testimony from whistleblowers “outlines misconduct and government abuse at the IRS and FBI in the investigation of Hunter Biden. Whistleblowers describe how the Biden Justice Department intervened and overstepped in a campaign to protect the son of Joe Biden by delaying, divulging, and denying an ongoing investigation into Hunter Biden’s alleged tax crimes.”

“The allegations point to a steady campaign of unequal treatment of enforcing tax law; Department of Justice interference in the form of delays, divulgences, and denials, into the investigation of tax crimes that may have been committed by the President’s son; and finally, retaliation against IRS employees who blew the whistle on the misconduct,” the committee stated on Thursday.

Get the latest BPR news delivered free to your inbox daily. SIGN UP HERE

Latest posts by Terresa Monroe-Hamilton (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles