The son of President Joe Biden is suing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the sharing of tax return information. The lawsuit from Hunter Biden comes shortly after an indictment was announced against him.
What Happened: A lawsuit against the IRS has been filed by Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden.
Hunter Biden’s lawsuit accuses IRS agents of “repeatedly and intentionally” sharing his private tax return information and making it public, as reported by CNBC.
The lawsuit says that Hunter Biden’s private tax returns were shared multiple times as he faces investigations.
Biden said the sharing of his tax returns has been a deliberate effort, and the agents in question “have targeted and sought to embarrass” him. The IRS agents named in the lawsuit are Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler.
The lawsuit accuses the two agents of “engaging in a campaign to publicly smear Mr. Biden” through the releasing of his tax information and conducting televised interviews and making public statements.
A civil suit was filed in federal court in Washington D.C. according to the report.
Hunter Biden is hoping that it can be proved that the IRS revealed his private tax information in an unlawful manner and is seeking $1,000 in damages for each unlawful disclosure.
Related Link: Kevin McCarthy Says House Republicans Will Subpoena Hunter Biden At Appropriate Time: 'We Only Follow Facts
Why It’s Important: The lawsuit by Hunter Biden comes after he was recently indicted and charged with three federal counts related to purchasing and possessing a firearm.
An attorney for Hunter Biden said that the lawsuit against the IRS is not related to the new charges.
The federal charges against Hunter Biden stem from an incident in 2018 where he allegedly purchased a firearm and is suspected of providing false information regarding his drug use on the application.
Two of the charges related to making false statements on the weapon application carry punishments of up to 10 years in prison upon conviction. A third charge related to possessing the gun carries a punishment of up to five years in prison upon conviction.
Hunter Biden is also being investigated in connection with his business dealings, with a special counsel overseeing the case saying that additional charges could come over tax payments.
Read Next: GOP Presidential Candidate Calls Hunter Biden's Indictment A 'Smokescreen'
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