Hunter Biden has withdrawn his lawsuit against two IRS whistleblowers, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, who he alleged targeted him by disclosing his tax matters to the media. The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled, and was dropped without any agreement or compensation. Shapley and Ziegler had previously testified before the House Oversight Committee about the limitations they faced in investigating Biden, describing the lawsuit as an attempt to intimidate them. The dismissal follows Biden's guilty plea to nine federal tax charges and a subsequent pardon by his father, former President Joe Biden, for any crimes committed over the past decade. The ongoing legal and political challenges surrounding Hunter Biden continue to draw significant media attention and public scrutiny, especially regarding the alleged preferential treatment during investigations into his tax affairs.

Hunter Biden filed a lawsuit in 2023 against IRS agents Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, accusing them of targeting him by leaking his tax information to the media, but he has now dropped the case with prejudice, preventing it from being brought again.

The whistleblowers, Shapley and Ziegler, testified before Congress about the challenges they encountered while investigating Hunter Biden, claiming that the lawsuit was an attempt to intimidate them, although they were eager to present their full story in court.

Biden's legal team moved to dismiss the lawsuit without any settlement or compensation, which the whistleblowers interpreted as an indication of their correctness in their actions and statements.

This legal development occurs after Hunter Biden's plea deal on tax evasion charges fell apart in 2023, leading to his guilty plea to nine federal tax charges in 2024, with a total of $1.4 million in taxes unpaid from 2016 to 2019.

In December 2024, former President Joe Biden granted his son a sweeping pardon for all crimes he committed or may have committed over the previous decade, which has further fueled political controversy and debate.

Four of Hunter Biden's attorneys withdrew from representing him about a month ago, amid ongoing scrutiny and legal proceedings, adding complexity to his legal troubles.

The Justice Department had been investigating Hunter Biden for several years, and the IRS whistleblowers' testimonies and allegations of preferential treatment have been a focal point in discussions about the fairness and integrity of these investigations.