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Impeachment Inquiry of President Joseph R. Biden

Committee Timeline

January 25, 2023

  • Chairman Smith sent a letter to the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Acting Commissioner Douglas O’Donnell and all IRS employees. He noted the launch of an IRS whistleblower portal on the Committee on Ways and Means’s website.

May 16, 2023

  • Chairman Smith sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel over allegations of illegal retaliation from an IRS employee who sought to share information as a protected whistleblower with the Committee.

June 20, 2023

  • Chairman Smith and Committee on the Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan sent a letter to Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) J. Russell George concerning alleged whistleblower retaliation by the IRS and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
  • The Chairmen also sent a letter to DOJ Inspector General (IG) Michael Horowitz over the alleged whistleblower retaliation. Given the DOJ’s role in possible retaliation against the whistleblower, they requested information on whether and how the DOJ Office of Inspector General (DOJ OIG) plans to investigate this issue.  

June 22, 2023 – First Executive Session with Whistleblowers

  • A Committee executive meeting resulted in a vote to release the transcribed interview transcripts the two IRS whistleblowers who worked directly on the investigation of Hunter Biden. Their testimony outlined misconduct and highlighted unequal treatment of enforcing tax law, DOJ interference in the investigation, and retaliation against IRS employees who blew the whistle on the government abuse.

June 29, 2023

  • Chairmen Smith, Comer, and Jordan sent three letters requesting transcribed interviews from over a dozen federal employees who possess information concerning alleged politicization and misconduct by DOJ, IRS, and U.S. Secret Service (USSS) with respect to the investigation of Hunter Biden.
  • The federal employees requested are as follows:
    • Lesley Wolf (DOJ)
    • Jack Morgan (DOJ)
    • Mark Daly (DOJ)
    • Matthew Graves (DOJ)
    • E. Martin Estrada (DOJ)
    • David Weiss (DOJ)
    • Stuart Goldberg (DOJ)
    • Shawn Weede (DOJ)
    • Shannon Hudson (DOJ)
    • Tom Sobocinski (FBI)
    • Ryeshia Holley (FBI)
    • Machiael Batdorf (IRS)
    • Darrell Waldon (IRS)
    • Secret Service employees who received the December 7, 2020 tip-off from FBI and all USSS employees who may have passed this information along to the Biden family or presidential transition team

July 5, 2023

  • Chairmen Smith, Comer, and Jordan along with Senate Committee on the Budget Ranking Member Chuck Grassley and Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Ranking Member Ron Johnson sent a letter to Special Counsel Henry Kerner requesting a briefing on the Office of the Special Counsel’s investigation into allegations of unlawful whistleblower retaliation by DOJ and IRS against federal employees.

July 14, 2023

  • Chairman Smith sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and United States Attorney David Weiss. He asked them to file the letter in the docket materials, including the IRS whistleblower testimony, essential for the Judge to review in evaluating the Hunter Biden plea agreement.

July 17, 2023

  • Chairmen Smith, Comer, and Jordan sent a letter to DOJ IG Horowitz requesting a status update on DOJ OIG’s investigation into retaliation against the IRS whistleblowers.
  • They also sent a letter to TIGTA George requesting a status update on TIGTA’s investigation into retaliation against the IRS whistleblowers.

July 19, 2023

July 21, 2023

  • Chairmen Smith, Jordan, and Comer sent a letter to Attorney General Garland reiterating their request for transcribed interviews with the DOJ and FBI officials listed in their June 29 letter.
  • The Chairmen also sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Werfel similarly following up on their request for transcribed interviews with the IRS officials listed in their June 29 letter.  

July 31, 2023

  • Chairmen Smith, Jordan, and Comer sent a letter to Attorney General Garland launching an inquiry related to DOJ’s decision to sign off on an “atypical” plea deal with Hunter Biden. Judge Maryellen Noreika of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware rejected the deal as “not standard” and “different from what I normally see.” The Chairmen noted that the proposed plea deal raised concerns that the DOJ “has provided preferential treatment toward Mr. Biden.”

August 21, 2023

  • The Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on the Judiciary issued subpoenas to four individuals from IRS and DOJ present at or with direct knowledge of an October 7, 2022, meeting where now-Special Counsel David Weiss claimed he was prevented from bringing charges against Hunter Biden for tax crimes. The subpoenas were sent to:
    • IRS Director of Field Operations Michael Batdorf (subpoena cover letter)
    • IRS Special Agent in Charge Darrell Waldon (subpoena cover letter)
    • FBI Special Agent in Charge Thomas Sobocinski
    • FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryeshia Holley

August 22, 2023

  • Chairmen Smith, Comer, and Jordan sent a letter to DOJ IG Horowitz seeking information on whether DOJ is hindering DOJ OIG’s investigation into retaliation against IRS whistleblowers.

August 28, 2023

  • Chairmen Smith, Jordan, and Comer sent a letter to Attorney General Garland requesting documents related to DOJ’s deviations from its standard procedure in the Hunter Biden matter as well as U.S. Attorney David Weiss’ appointment as special counsel.

September 6, 2023

  • Chairmen Smith, Jordan, and Comer sent a letter to Hunter Biden’s attorneys, Mr. Christopher Clark of Clark Smith Villazor LLP and Mr. Abbe Lowell of Winston & Strawn LLP, demanding documents that had already been leaked to The New York Times and Politico. These items provided detailed accounts of the failed settlement negotiations between DOJ and Hunter Biden’s lawyers.

September 8, 2023

  • The Committee on Ways and Means conducted a transcribed interview of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge, Darrell Waldon.

September 12, 2023 – Impeachment Inquiry Began

  • Speaker Kevin McCarthy directed the House to open an impeachment inquiry into President Joseph R. Biden. In response, Chairmen Smith, Comer, and Jordan issued a statement in support of the impeachment inquiry and noted their ongoing work to deliver “answers, transparency, and accountability” to the American people for President Biden’s “blatant abuse of public office.”
  • The Chairmen also sent a letter to Attorney General Garland requesting information about attempts by Hunter Biden’s legal team to pressure or encourage DOJ to take action against IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler.

  • The Committee on Ways and Means conducted a transcribed interview of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Director of Field Operations, Michael Batdorf.

September 27, 2023 – Second Executive Session on Whistleblowers

  • The Committee held an executive session to review new whistleblower-provided evidence relevant to efforts by federal officials to protect President Biden. The documents, subsequently released by a vote of the Committee, confirm that Hunter Biden traveled the world to sell access to the Biden “brand,” meaning President Biden. Hunter Biden referred to his father as “my family’s only asset,” and the scheme generated millions of dollars from foreign countries for the Biden family.
    • READ MORE: Full documents listed here.

September 28, 2023

  • Chairman Smith delivered an opening statement at the Committee on Oversight and Accountability’s hearing, titled “The Basis for an Impeachment Inquiry of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.” Chairman Smith highlighted how “Hunter Biden cashed in by arranging access to Joe Biden” through “lunches, phone calls, White House meetings, or official foreign trips.”

November 15, 2023

  • Chairmen Smith, Comer, and Jordan letter to Patrick Kevin Morris requesting a transcribed interview. Public reporting and evidence reviewed by the Committees suggest that Mr. Morris has personally lent money to, or otherwise satisfied debts on behalf of, Hunter Biden. Therefore Mr. Morris possesses information concerning the investigation of Hunter Biden.

December 5, 2023 – Third Executive Session on Whistleblowers

  • The Committee held an executive session to review new whistleblower-provided evidence relevant to efforts by federal officials to protect President Biden. The documents, subsequently released by a vote of the Committee, confirm that Joe Biden utilized fake email aliases to communicate with Eric Schwerin, the architect of several shell companies that Hunter Biden did business with. The documents released show a total of 327 emails that prove Joe Biden had knowledge of and communicated with partners of Hunter Biden’s business ventures.
    • READ MORE: Full documents listed here.

Investigation Materials

Letters

  • January 25, 2023: letter from Chairman Smith to the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Acting Commissioner Douglas O’Donnell and all IRS employees
  • May 16, 2023: letter from Chairman Smith to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel over allegations of illegal retaliation from an IRS employee who sought to share information as a protected whistleblower with the Committee.
  • June 20, 2023: letter from Ways and Means Chairman Smith and Committee on the Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan to Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) J. Russell George concerning alleged whistleblower retaliation by the IRS and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
  • June 20, 2023: letter to DOJ Inspector General (IG) Michael Horowitz over the alleged whistleblower retaliation. Given the DOJ’s role in possible retaliation against the whistleblower, they requested information on whether and how the DOJ Office of Inspector General (DOJ OIG) plans to investigate this issue.  
  • June 29, 2023: Chairmen Smith, Comer, and Jordan three letters requesting transcribed interviews from over a dozen federal employees who possess information concerning alleged politicization and misconduct by DOJ, IRS, and U.S. Secret Service (USSS) with respect to the investigation of Hunter Biden.
  • July 5, 2023: letter from Chairmen Smith, Comer, and Jordan along with Senate Committee on the Budget Ranking Member Chuck Grassley and Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Ranking Member Ron Johnson sent to Special Counsel Henry Kerner requesting a briefing on the Office of the Special Counsel’s investigation into allegations of unlawful whistleblower retaliation by DOJ and IRS against federal employees.
  • July 14, 2023: letter from Chairman Smith sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland and United States Attorney David Weiss. He asked them to file in the docket materials, including the IRS whistleblower testimony, essential for the Judge to review in evaluating the Hunter Biden plea agreement.
  • July 21, 2023: letter from Chairmen Smith, Jordan, and Comer to Attorney General Garland reiterating their request for transcribed interviews with the DOJ and FBI officials listed in their June 29 letter.
  • July 31, 2023: letter from Chairmen Smith, Jordan, and Comer to Attorney General Garland launching an inquiry related to DOJ’s decision to sign off on an “atypical” plea deal with Hunter Biden.
  • August 22, 2023: letter from Chairmen Smith, Comer, and Jordan to DOJ IG Horowitz seeking information on whether DOJ is hindering DOJ OIG’s investigation into retaliation against IRS whistleblowers.
  • August 28, 2023: letter from Chairmen Smith, Jordan, and Comer to Attorney General Garland requesting documents related to DOJ’s deviations from its standard procedure in the Hunter Biden matter as well as U.S. Attorney David Weiss’ appointment as special counsel.
  • September 6, 2023: letter from Chairmen Smith, Jordan, and Comer to Hunter Biden’s attorneys, Mr. Christopher Clark of Clark Smith Villazor LLP and Mr. Abbe Lowell of Winston & Strawn LLP, demanding documents that had already been leaked to The New York Times and Politico. These items provided detailed accounts of the failed settlement negotiations between DOJ and Hunter Biden’s lawyers.
  • September 12, 2023: letter from Chairmen Smith, Jordan, and Comer to Attorney General Garland requesting information about attempts by Hunter Biden’s legal team to pressure or encourage DOJ to take action against IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler.
  • November 15, 2023: letter from Chairmen Smith, Jordan, and Comer to Patrick Kevin Morris requesting a transcribed interview. 

Whistleblower Executive Session Documents

Chairman Smith Media

Press Conference: Releasing Whistleblower Transcripts
Press Conference: Release of New Whistleblower Evidence
Press Conference: December 5, 2023 Executive Session

Chairman Smith Statements