Disgraced first son Hunter Biden's legal team filed a lawsuit Monday against two Internal Revenue Service whistleblowers Monday, saying that they violated his right to privacy and tried to “embarrass” him when they publicized his tax information.

The legal action against IRS supervisory special agent Greg Shapley, and a second agent, Joe Ziegler came just four days after Hunter, 53, was indicted on federal firearms charges for allegedly lying about his drug use to buy a gun in 2018, a case that could go to trial as his father President Biden's bid for re-election heats up.

The suit seeks to "force compliance with federal tax and privacy laws" and stop the spread of "unsubstantiated allegations" and "unlawful disclosure" of Hunter's tax information.

Shapley and Ziegler were not named in the lawsuit, but the filing centers on statements and congressional testimony made by the agents, as they sounded the alarm on what they called a wide-ranging coverup in the Department of Justice's tax fraud investigation into the first son.

The agents disclosed private tax information in nearly two dozen interviews and statements, according to Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for the first son.

"IRS agents have targeted and sought to embarrass Mr. Biden via public statements to the media in which they and their representatives disclosed confidential information about a private citizen's tax matters," Lowell wrote.

Biden's suit sought $1,000 for each unauthorized tax disclosure and attorney fees, and all related documents.

The agents told the House Oversight Committee in July that political appointees interfered in the case and shielded investigators from probing finances of Hunter's that were linked to his father.

They also claimed federal prosecutors also blocked investigations into the president's possible role in multi-million dollar payments from a Chinese government-linked energy conglomerate that were made to Hunter, and from looking into emails found in his abandoned laptop that purported he was splitting revenue from his overseas business interests with his father.

"Any time we potentially wanted to go down the road of asking questions related to the president, it was, 'That's going to take too much approvals, we can't ask those questions,'" Ziegler had said in an interview with CBS News.

Monday's lawsuit, filed in DC federal court, claimed that the sharing of Biden's personal tax information was not permitted under whistleblower protections.

The legal action came almost exactly three months after Hunter struck a plea deal with the feds to plead guilty to two misdemeanors in connection with his failure to pay more than $100,000 in taxes in both 2017 and 2018. The agreement would have also seen his felony charge of possessing a firearm while addicted to crack cocaine dismissed.

But the probation-only agreement, which followed a five-year investigation and was dubbed a "sweetheart deal" by Republicans, was scuttled at a July 26 hearing after Hunter's lawyers learned that prosecutors were keeping additional charges on the table in connection with an ongoing investigation into his overseas business deals and financial records, and the judge expressed concern over its structure.

After Biden pleaded not guilty, US Attorney David Weiss withdrew the charges in Delaware and was granted special counsel status by Attorney General Merrick Garland Aug. 11.

"This suit against the IRS is just another frivolous smear by Biden family attorneys trying to turn people's attention away from Hunter Biden's own legal problems and intimidate any current and future whistleblowers," Shapley's legal team said in a statement Monday.

"The federal judge in Delaware who oversaw the aborted plea deal shot down similar claims against the whistleblowers after they exposed the secret backroom deal between Hunter Biden and the Department of Justice.

"Neither IRS SSA Gary Shapley nor his attorneys have ever released any confidential taxpayer information except through whistleblower disclosures authorized by statute. Once Congress released that testimony, like every American citizen, he has a right to discuss that public information."

President Biden has denied any impropriety or involvement in his son's international lobbying activities, which were first detailed by The Post in a bombshell 2020 expose.

President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden sued the U.S. Internal Revenue Service on Monday, alleging unlawful disclosure of his taxes by whistleblowers who work for the U.S. tax agency.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, focused on statements made by IRS agents Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler in media interviews amid a long-running investigation by House of Representatives Republicans into the younger Biden's taxes and business dealings.

Hunter Biden, 53, is at the center of a political maelstrom, as House Republicans mount an impeachment inquiry against his father focused on alleged ties between his business practices and his father's policies during his father's tenure as vice president from 2009 to 2017. They have so far presented no evidence showing that the elder Biden profited from his son's businesses. The White House has denied any wrongdoing.

Hunter Biden is the first child of a sitting U.S. president to have been criminally indicted. Prosecutors last week charged him with three counts related to the fact that he was lying about using illegal drugs when he bought a firearm. Hunter Biden and prosecutors earlier had reached a plea deal over tax and gun charges, but it collapsed.

Monday's lawsuit refers to "more than 20 nationally televised and non-congressionally sanctioned interviews and numerous public statements" by Shapley, Ziegler and their lawyers about Hunter Biden. Shapley and Ziegler have testified in Congress as whistleblowers about alleged political interference in an IRS investigation into Biden's taxes. The Justice Department has denied any such interference.

"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 reads.

Biden is seeking $1,000 for each unauthorized disclosure of his tax return information, a declaration from the IRS, a data security plan from the agency, production of documents related to Biden's taxes and other relief.

The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee called the lawsuit “intimidation” in a post on social media. The IRS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hunter Biden last week also filed a lawsuit against a former White House aide during Donald Trump's presidency over the aide's alleged role in the publication of embarrassing images and emails.

Trump, who has cheered on the impeachment inquiry, was the first U.S. president to be impeached twice. The Senate acquitted him both times. Trump also has been charged in four criminal cases this year.

In a dramatic turn of events, Hunter Biden, the disgraced first son of President Biden, has filed a lawsuit against two Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblowers, accusing them of violating his privacy and attempting to embarrass him. The legal action comes just days after Hunter was indicted on federal firearms charges for allegedly lying about his drug use in order to purchase a gun. ..... While the two agents, Greg Shapley and Joe Ziegler, were not named in the lawsuit, the filing focuses on their statements and congressional testimony, in which they raised concerns about a cover-up in the Department of Justice's tax fraud investigation into Hunter Biden.

 ..... The lawsuit seeks $1,000 in damages for each unauthorized disclosure of Hunter's tax returns, along with attorney fees and related documents. Lowell argues that the sharing of Biden's personal tax information was not permitted under whistleblower protections. He also claims that the agents' statements were politically motivated and aimed at protecting investigators from probing into finances linked to President Biden.

Mark Lytle, an attorney for Gary Shapley, one of the whistleblowers, dismisses the lawsuit as a frivolous smear intended to intimidate potential whistleblowers. Lytle highlights how Shapley's testimony, as well as that of Joseph Ziegler, uncovered Hunter Biden's “sweetheart” plea deal, which was eventually rejected by Judge Maryellen Noreika. Attorney General Merrick Garland then appointed David Weiss as the special counsel in the case, allowing for the litigation of all charges, except for the federal firearms charges, to take place beyond Delaware.

Former journalist Matt Taibbi, known for his coverage of the Hunter Biden laptop saga, comments on the irony of the lawsuit. Taibbi argues that it is difficult to understand how Hunter Biden can claim a violation of personal privacy when the tax information is relevant to a major legal probe. He suggests that the lawsuit is a reaction to the fact that information, which was previously hidden, is now coming to light.

The lawsuit, filed in a DC federal court, comes three months after Hunter Biden struck a plea deal with federal prosecutors, pleading guilty to two misdemeanors related to his failure to pay taxes. The deal, which was heavily criticized by Republicans, was scuttled after additional charges were revealed during a court hearing. US Attorney David Weiss, who oversaw the case, was granted special counsel status by Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Hunter Biden's legal troubles have been a subject of controversy and speculation, with allegations of impropriety and involvement in international lobbying activities. President Biden has consistently denied any wrongdoing or involvement in his son's affairs. The lawsuit against the IRS whistleblowers is seen by some as an attempt to divert attention from Hunter's legal problems and intimidate potential whistleblowers. The case will undoubtedly continue to attract significant attention and scrutiny, particularly as the 2024 presidential election draws nearer.

Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, has filed a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on Monday, accusing the agency of violating his privacy rights. The lawsuit comes in response to the IRS disclosing details about his taxes and the investigation into his conduct to Congress and the public. The suit also follows Hunter Biden's recent indictment on separate charges related to his purchase of a handgun in 2018.

The decision to proceed with the lawsuit demonstrates Hunter Biden's determination to counter inquiries from congressional Republicans, even as he faces potential further prosecution on tax charges by the Justice Department during his father's re-election campaign. The suit, filed in Federal District Court in Washington, argues that the IRS investigators breached taxpayer privacy rules and intentionally sought to embarrass Hunter Biden by disclosing confidential information about his tax matters.

The lawsuit highlights the public testimony and statements made by two IRS investigators, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, who have been providing information to House committees investigating President Biden and his family for potential wrongdoing. Ziegler has claimed that the Justice Department's inquiry into Hunter Biden's taxes was influenced by politics, a statement disputed by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and U.S. Attorney for Delaware David C. Weiss, who oversees the case.

 ..... It argues that he has the same rights as any other citizen and that no government agency or agent should be allowed to violate those rights based on his identity. The lawsuit challenges the argument made by the IRS agents, their lawyers, and House Republicans that the disclosures were protected as whistleblowing and were authorized by the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax issues.

Hunter Biden's lawsuit disputes the legality of the disclosures made to Congress, claiming that the agents and their lawyers also revealed details about the investigation in more than 20 interviews and public statements to the media. The suit argues that their status as whistleblowers does not shield them from unauthorized public disclosures that violate the whistleblower process.

The lawsuit reveals that the IRS agents disclosed information potentially damaging to Hunter Biden and his father beyond the disclosures made to Congress. It references a search warrant that uncovered evidence of Hunter Biden invoking his father's name while pressuring a Chinese businessman to proceed with an energy deal. Hunter Biden's plea deal with the Justice Department, which would have seen him pleading guilty to misdemeanor tax charges and avoiding a gun charge, fell apart during a court hearing in July. Last week, he was indicted on three counts related to violating gun laws for allegedly lying about his drug use when purchasing a handgun in Delaware five years ago. He may also face tax charges for late filing and disputed deductions.

 ..... The lawsuits come amid an impeachment inquiry against President Biden led by House Republicans, who are investigating potential connections between Hunter Biden's business practices and his father's policies during his tenure as vice president.

The IRS has not yet responded to the lawsuit, and the House Judiciary Committee, led by Republicans, has deemed it "intimidation." It remains to be seen how the legal battle will unfold for Hunter Biden, who has become the first child of a sitting U.S. president to face criminal charges.

Biden's lawyers battle federal prosecutors over in-person arraignment.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher J. Burke issued the order asking Hunter's lawyers to explain no later than Tuesday why they want his arraignment held via video conference - a request prosecutors have opposed, Burke wrote.

The judge gave prosecutors until Wednesday to provide a reason why the arraignment should happen in person.

Hunter could face up to 25 years in prison for federal firearm charges announced last week, including making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm, which carries a maximum of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

The second count, a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federal firearms licensed dealer, can garner up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

The third count, possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance, can land up to a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release, according to the documents.

The counts combine to carry a maximum of 25 years in prison and a $750,000 fine. Special counsel David Weiss, a Donald Trump appointee, has overlooked the investigation.

 ..... 

Shapley's legal team responded to Hunter's lawsuit in a statement Monday morning, dismissing the move as a stalling tactic.

 ..... 

Hunter's lawyer did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment. The Justice Department declined to comment.

Fox News' Joe Schoffstall, David Spunt, Anders Hagstrom and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

US president's son alleges that two whistleblower agents targeted him and agency failed to protect his private records.

The US president's son, 53, said that his tax details were shared by two IRS agents in congressional hearings and media interviews in an “assault” on his right to confidentiality.

Mr Biden is seeking $1,000 (?800) for each unauthorised disclosure and associated legal fees.

The case centres on disclosures by two agents who were involved in an investigation of Mr Biden's taxes and alleged that his case was being mismanaged by the US Department of Justice.

The agents, Greg Shapley and Joe Ziegler, said that they were acting as whistleblowers and accused the department of “slow-walking” the investigation in testimony before Congress.

 ..... 

Mr Biden's lawsuit argues the agents "targeted and sought to embarrass" him and the tax agency failed to protect his private records.

Whistleblowers are "supposed to uncover government misconduct", it stated, not give their "opinion about the alleged wrongdoing of a private person".