Revealed: FBI agent rebuts Jim Jordan's whistleblower's Biden claims

It has been less than 12 hours since Republicans announced they will have an "impeachment inquiry" into President Joe Biden, and a transcript has leaked from an interview with one of the people that disputes a main GOP witness in related matters.

The Washington Post reported Tuesday afternoon that the two IRS employees attempting to claim legal "whistleblower status" testified before the House Judiciary Committee attacking U.S. Attorney David Weiss. According to the claims by one of the men, Gary Shapley, Weiss blocked the IRS investigation into Hunter Biden and his taxes.

The president's son was a drug addict and during those years he didn't file his taxes. He later filed them and paid them.

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Shapley testified that Weiss told FBI and IRS agents during a meeting that Weiss was not a “deciding official on whether charges are filed.”

Thomas Sobocinski, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Baltimore field office, who was also in the meeting, said he never heard Weiss say that. In fact, it was his understanding Weiss never "needed approval" to bring charges.

“I went into that meeting believing he had the authority, and I have left that meeting believing he had the authority to bring charges," said Sobocinski.

He didn't have any other information to dispute or confirm claims made by Shapley in the hearing. He also said he felt like his account differed from Shapley's, adding he spoke with “various members of the team” about the discrepancies.

“I wanted to make sure that if my team felt that there was any difference in — if they view this differently, then that becomes an operational matter for me to want to get — getting resolution,” he said.

A spokesman for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) appeared to dispute the testimony. He claimed the agent was "wholly consistent throughout their disclosures to Congress."

Sobocinski is still working on the case, but he said that the GOP's publicity of the case means some of the agents involved have been identified and they and their families have been exposed and their safety compromised.

“I now have FBI employees that, names are out there,” Sobocinski said, referring to some of the paperwork and testimony in Jordan's probe. “I have FBI employees and former FBI retired agents who’ve served for 20-plus years whose parents are getting phone calls, whose photos with their girlfriends, who their children, who are being followed. That is not something that we were prepared for, and I was concerned about having that continue or expand to other one of my employees.”

The same problem has plagued others involved in issues or cases pressed by former President Donald Trump. Judges he's attacked online have been inundated with threats. Special Counsel Jack Smith, his family and the families of other prosecutors have also been threatened, leading to the use of more Secret Service protection after Trump's attacks led to threats. It has cost taxpayers over $2 million.

Members of the special grand jury in Fulton County had their names revealed under the law. Their addresses and personal information were then leaked by Trump supporters on a far-right website banned from U.S. hosting services. Threats followed.