Matt Gaetz is asking Speaker Mike Johnson to do MORE to protect Hunter Biden IRS whistleblowers that probed his tax fraud case and accused DOJ of 'slow-walking' and giving 'preferential treatment'

GOP firebrand Matt Gaetz wants Speaker Mike Johnson to beef up protections for two IRS whistleblowers that accused the Justice Department of 'slow-walking' the tax investigation into Hunter Biden. 

IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley alleged DOJ dragged its feet in the probe into the president's son's taxes and Joseph Ziegler said Hunter 'received preferential treatment' during the process. 

Hunter's attorneys are back in court Wednesday in California as they seek to have the nine charges for allegedly skirting $1.4 million in taxes against him dropped - that could hand him 17 years in prison. 

Gaetz, R-Fla., is suggesting to Johnson that he task the House Office of General Counsel with intervening in Hunter's tax case to 'protect the prerogatives of the House of Representatives and to protect the rights of all Americans to make protected disclosures to Congress.'

'The interests of the House of Representatives and the legal rights of our whistleblowers are not being zealously defended by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), who is defending the lawsuit on behalf of the I.R.S.,' Gaetz wrote in the letter.

IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley alleged the Justice Department 'slow-walked' its probe into Hunter's taxes

'Congress should have a strong interest in defending the tax whistleblower provision *it created* at 26 USC 6103(f)(5) ("Disclosure by whistleblower"), which allows those with access to confidential taxpayer information to blow the whistle,' Shapley attorney Tristan Leavitt posted on X. 

In his suit, Hunter's lawyers claimed Ziegler and Shapley 'targeted and sought to embarrass Mr. Biden' by sharing confidential tax information in congressional testimony. 

Attorneys representing Hunter Biden are participating in another high-profile courtroom drama in Los Angeles on Wednesday. They are expected to ask a judge to throw out felony charges against him for failing to pay over $1 million in taxes. 

His lawyers have launched efforts to throw out part or all of the nine charges brought by special counsel David Weiss and Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi will decide the fate of the case. 

The charges stem from what federal prosecutors say was a four-year scheme to skip out on paying the $1.4 million he owed to the IRS and instead use the money to fund an 'extravagant lifestyle' that by his own admission included drugs and alcohol.

IRS whistleblower Joseph Ziegler alleged Hunter 'received preferential treatment' during the process

Ziegler, who identifies as a gay Democrat, alleged Hunter had improperly claimed business deductions for a number of personal expenses, including his children's college tuition, hotel bills and payments to escorts. 

Hunter's lawsuit alleges the IRS hasn't done enough to stop the airing of his personal information. It seeks to 'force compliance with federal tax and privacy laws' and damages of $1,000 for every unauthorized disclosure.

Shapley's lawyer at the time called the suit a 'frivolous smear' designed to 'intimidate any current and future whistleblowers.' 

His attorney said he did not release confidential tax information except through legal whistleblower disclosures. 

'Once Congress released that testimony, like every American citizen, he has a right to discuss that public information.'