Hunter Biden sues IRS over release of his tax records

Hunter Biden, the president’s son, sued the Internal Revenue Service Monday, alleging that the agency failed to protect his private tax records that he says were illegally released by its agents.

“The lawsuit is about the decision by IRS employees, their representatives, and others to disregard their obligations and repeatedly and intentionally publicly disclose and disseminate Mr. Biden’s protected tax return information outside the exceptions for making disclosures in the law,” the lawsuit alleges.

Biden claims that the IRS, through its agents and their representatives, “chose to publicly disclose the confidential return information during interviews with national media outlets … with the intent that these national media outlets would widely publish the information through its nationally and internationally televised news network, website and other means.” The lawsuit says the IRS’s public disclosure of Biden’s tax return information was not “requested by the taxpayer,” and therefore violated IRS rules. Among other things, Biden is seeking $1,000 for each unauthorized disclosure and attorneys fees.

Earlier this year, two IRS agents – who haven’t been named in the lawsuit – publicly said the U.S. Justice Department gave Hunter Biden preferential treatment.

Biden’s filing comes days after the president’s son was indicted on felony gun charges after a plea deal he struck with prosecutors fell apart. Earlier this year, Biden agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor offenses related to his filing of federal income taxes. Federal authorities also charged him with a felony firearm offense, for which he agreed to enter a pretrial diversion agreement that allows him to avoid prosecution.

But that deal fell apart in July when the judge in the case demanded that lawyers from both sides make clear that the deal did not convey broad immunity offered to Biden from prosecution on his business dealings and foreign lobbying.

But the sides couldn’t agree and the plea deal fell apart.

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