BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA – At the urging of U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the U.S. Department of Treasury has agreed to promote Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler to leadership positions at Treasury Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Under the Biden administration, Shapley and Ziegler were issued an illegal gag order and persistently retaliated against for exposing the Biden IRS and Department of Justice (DOJ)’s obstruction of the federal criminal investigation into Hunter Biden’s tax offenses. Grassley wrote President Donald Trump last month urging the President to support Shapley and Ziegler and hold their retaliators accountable. On February 25, Grassley sent a private letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent commending Shapley and Ziegler’s “bravery, courage, expertise and integrity” and requesting Bessent take action to place Shapley and Ziegler in leadership positions. Today’s announcement is a result of Grassley’s direct request.

“As I noted in my letter to Secretary Bessent last month, if we reinstate whistleblowers who have been retaliated against, it will send a clear signal that pointing out wrongdoing is an honorable thing to do. It will help change the culture of our bureaucracy. I’m very grateful to Secretary Bessent for supporting Gary and Joe, and I have no doubt they will be a boon to the Treasury Department in their new roles,” Grassley said. “Gary Shapley and Joe Ziegler put their entire careers on the line to stand up for the truth, and instead of being thanked, the Biden administration treated them like skunks at a picnic. Far too many whistleblowers share a similar experience of retaliation. I hope today is the first of many redemption stories for whistleblowers who’ve been mistreated. By taking a stand for whistleblowers, President Trump and his cabinet are ushering in a new era of transparency and accountability.”

“I am pleased to welcome Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler to the Treasury Department, where they will help us drive much-needed cultural reform within the IRS,” Bessent said. “These veteran civil servants join us to help further the agency’s focus on collections, modernization, and customer service, so we can deliver a more effective and efficient IRS experience for hardworking American taxpayers. I appreciate Senator Grassley’s efforts in Congress to support whistleblower protections in order to improve transparency, accountability and root out the culture of retaliation.”

“We are enormously grateful to Secretary Bessent, Senator Grassley, and all of the members of Congress for their leadership and trust,” Shapley and Ziegler said. “We have been motivated by one singular mantra: do what’s right, and do it the right way. It has not been easy, but having a clear conscience is worth the effort. We appreciate the opportunity Secretary Bessent is giving us to put our experience and firsthand knowledge to good use for the American people to eliminate waste and reform the IRS.”

Background:

Grassley first began investigating the Biden family in 2019, issuing two reports on his findings. While questioning then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in the Senate Judiciary Committee in March 2023, Grassley exposed, for the first time ever, that Special Counsel David Weiss’ investigation into Hunter Biden was not fully insulated from political interference. That exchange opened the door for new whistleblower disclosures to Congress about political decision-making in the Weiss investigation.

In June 2023, Grassley wrote to the DOJ Office of the Inspector General, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the IRS requesting an investigation into allegations of retaliation against Shapley and Ziegler and IRS attempts to silence the whistleblowers through the use of an unlawful nondisclosure agreement (gag order). In July 2023, Grassley also requested the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) take appropriate disciplinary actions against all employees who engaged in unlawful retaliation and attempts to silence Shapley and Ziegler. In response, OSC confirmed it had opened an investigation into the whistleblower retaliation allegations. Further, the IRS updated its nondisclosure agreement to clarify whistleblowers’ right to make legally protected disclosures to Congress.

Grassley once again wrote the IRS in April 2024 to push for corrective action against employees who continued to retaliate against Shapley and Ziegler for making legally protected disclosures to Congress. He also highlighted Shapley and Ziegler’s courageous work in a letter to President Trump requesting the President hold a Rose Garden Ceremony to honor and thank whistleblowers.

Grassley is the current chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. He is also the creator of the modern-day IRS Whistleblower Program, which has since brought back over $6 billion to the U.S. Treasury.

-30-