House GOP probes whether special counsel office helped retaliate against Hunter Biden whistleblowers

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EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are investigating whether the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) contributed to the alleged retaliation and "smear campaign" against IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, who brought claims of political influence in the Hunter Biden investigation to Congress.

Fox News Digital has exclusively obtained a letter penned by House Speaker Mike Johnson; House Majority Leader Steve Scalise; House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer; House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan; and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith to the OSC.

The top Republican lawmakers are seeking a briefing to determine whether there has been improper influence surrounding the IRS whistleblowers’ claims pending before the OSC.

"IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler have been wholly consistent in their testimony about misconduct and politicization in the Department of Justice’s criminal investigation of Hunter Biden," the Republican leaders said in a joint-statement to Fox News Digital. "They did exactly what an honorable government employee should do: when they witnessed wrongdoing, they reported it responsibly and made legally protected disclosures."

ADVOCATES FOR IRS WHISTLEBLOWERS ACCUSE SPECIAL COUNSEL WEISS OF RETALIATION, MISLEADING: ‘SMEAR CAMPAIGN’

The lawmakers said that "because of their bravery and