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IRS Whistleblower Gary Shapley Expected to Lead Agency Amid Fallout from Hunter Biden Probehttps://yournews.com/2025/04/16/3379203/irs-whistleblower-gary-shapley-expected-to-lead-agency-amid-fallout/#close_bannerBy yourNEWS Media Newsroom Apr 16, 2025Gary Shapley, the veteran IRS supervisory agent who became a central whistleblower in the Hunter Biden tax investigation, is expected to be named Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, according to a memo reviewed by the Wall Street Journal. The appointment would place Shapley at the helm of the agency amid ongoing efforts to restore public trust in federal tax enforcement and whistleblower protections.Shapley would replace Acting Commissioner Melanie Krause, who announced her resignation after the Treasury Department and Department of Homeland Security finalized a controversial data-sharing agreement granting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to taxpayer information. Krause reportedly expressed concerns about being excluded from the decision-making process and stepped down less than two months into her tenure. According to the Wall Street Journal, she succeeded Douglas O’Donnell, who retired in February.Shapley’s expected appointment coincides with the pending confirmation of former Rep. Billy Long, President Donald Trump’s nominee for permanent IRS Commissioner. Trump’s administration has increasingly emphasized accountability and transparency in federal financial enforcement agencies, especially in the wake of Shapley’s testimony before Congress in 2023.Shapley alleged that Department of Justice (DOJ) and IRS officials obstructed efforts to pursue felony charges against Hunter Biden. He specifically accused Biden-appointed U.S. Attorneys in Washington, D.C., and California of blocking prosecution recommendations. In testimony backed by contemporaneous notes, Shapley revealed that Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss admitted during an October 2022 meeting that he was not the final authority on charging decisions—a point of contention directly contradicting other federal officials’ statements.He further testified that Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf rejected a proposed search warrant for President Joe Biden’s Delaware residence, citing concerns about public optics. Shapley and fellow whistleblower Joseph Ziegler also described how a classified briefing at CIA headquarters derailed their attempts to interview Kevin Morris, a known associate of Hunter Biden.Ziegler, who supported Shapley’s claims during a House Oversight Committee hearing, said the pair believed references to “the Big Guy” in Hunter Biden’s communications referred to President Joe Biden. The two agents faced public scrutiny and alleged retaliation from Special Counsel David Weiss, who, in March 2024, submitted a filing suggesting they were under investigation for misconduct—a claim their attorneys characterized as retaliatory and unfounded.In response, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent publicly appointed Shapley and Ziegler to senior roles within the Treasury Department in March 2025, underscoring their importance as whistleblowers. “The culture of being able to come forward when you see wrongdoing is a central part of our democracy,” Bessent said. “I saw these two fellows before the President’s address to Congress in Speaker Johnson’s office. They came over to me and said, ‘Sir, we’re still being harassed.’ Seeing them in person really brought it home for me.”Bessent added, “I went and decided I would bring them into Treasury, give them a year to investigate the wrongdoing that’s going on at the IRS, and then they will go back in. Mr. Shapley will serve as the Senior Deputy for Investigation and Enforcement.”The whistleblower’s elevation to Acting IRS Commissioner reflects President Trump’s ongoing efforts to restructure agencies he says were used to shield politically connected individuals. While critics argue that the ICE data-sharing agreement and other Trump administration policies risk overreach, supporters view the moves as long-overdue steps to reform politically compromised institutions.Shapley’s leadership comes at a pivotal moment for the IRS, with rising public interest in how federal agencies handle investigations into high-profile figures. His tenure may also serve as a litmus test for broader whistleblower protections, government accountability, and transparency across federal law enforcement.