NBC covers whistleblower claim FBI and IRS 'improperly interfered' in Hunter Biden case
"NBC Nightly News" was the only network evening broadcast Thursday night to cover whistleblower claims that Hunter Biden got "preferential treatment."
ABC’s "World News Tonight" and "CBS Evening News" Thursday night both failed to cover bombshell allegations from two IRS whistleblowers that DOJ, FBI and IRS officials "improperly interfered" in the Hunter Biden investigation.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., told reporters Thursday that the testimony from the whistleblowers "outlines misconduct and government abuse at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the investigation of Hunter Biden."
"Whistleblowers describe how the Biden Justice Department intervened and overstepped in a campaign to protect the son of Joe Biden by delaying, divulging, and denying an ongoing investigation into Hunter Biden’s alleged tax crimes," Smith said.
Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and enter a diversion program to address a felony gun charge. (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)
NewsBusters' Kevin Tober noted CBS News, in addition to covering the tragic deaths of those aboard the missing Titanic submersible, covered stories like a frozen food recall and a crackdown by the FDA on flavored cigarettes. ABC News spent nearly 12 minutes alone on the Titanic story, an unusual amount of time for a single story on a brief newscast.
The only evening network broadcast to cover the developments was "NBC Nightly News." The minute-and-a-half long report began with anchor Lester Holt telling viewers: "A House committee released testimony today from two IRS whistleblowers who say the DOJ, the FBI and their IRS superiors improperly interfered with their investigation of Hunter Biden, who agreed to a plea deal this week."
Correspondent Garrett Haake followed by explaining, "These two senior IRS agents allege that the president’s son received preferential treatment throughout the five-year tax investigation that resulted in two misdemeanor guilty pleas this week. In testimony released by a Republican-led House committee, the agents accuse the DOJ and the FBI of slow-walking portions of the investigation to Hunter Biden’s benefit and that efforts by the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney leading the probe to charge more serious crimes were blocked."
The reporter noted that "A DOJ spokesman tonight denied any such interference."
"NBC Nightly News" was the only network evening broadcast Thursday night to cover whistleblower claims that Hunter Biden got "preferential treatment." (Screenshot/NBC)
In addition to covering the allegations of "preferential treatment" for the president’s son, Haake also noted: "One whistleblower also provided what he says are Whatsapp messages from Hunter Biden to a Chinese business associate from 2017, in which the younger Biden says he’s sitting with his father waiting on a response to a proposal and that he and the then-former vice president will make the business partner regret not responding."
He added, "NBC News has not yet confirmed the authenticity of that message."
"The White House tonight says President Biden has upheld his commitment to let this investigation proceed free of any political interference. Hunter Biden’s attorneys have not responded to our request for comment," Haake concluded.
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On Tuesday, Fox News confirmed that Hunter Biden would agree to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and enter a diversion program to address a felony gun charge.
Fox News' Brianna Herlihy, Brooke Singman, Jon Street contributed to this report.
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