Rep. Ro Khanna (D., Calif.) on Wednesday compared an IRS whistleblower to the antagonist in the Victor Hugo novel Les Misérables.
"You are a stickler for the law. It reminds me of Les Mis and the famous person who wanted to get the person who had a sandwich," Khanna told whistleblower Gary Shapley, suggesting he is excessively committed to enforcing the law and self-righteous.
The comparison refers to the antagonist Inspector Javert, a central character in the novel Les Misérables and its musical adaptation. Javert pursues the protagonist, Jean Valjean, for breaking his parole after serving prison time for stealing a loaf of bread to feed a starving child. Javert lacks empathy for criminals and is obsessively devoted to returning Valjean to prison for the minor offense.
IRS whistleblowers Shapley and Joseph Ziegler testified before Congress Wednesday surrounding the agency's investigation into first son Hunter Biden, which they say was sabotaged by the Justice Department.
The whistleblowers allege that the DOJ shielded Hunter Biden and his father President Joe Biden from scrutiny, preventing prosecutors from filing felony charges and undermining the tax investigation.
"There were certain investigative steps that we weren't allowed to take that could have led us to President Biden," Shapley said when he came forward. "We needed to take them."
Hunter Biden agreed in June to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax crimes, a move that will likely keep him out of prison. The plea deal ended a five-year probe into Biden's taxes.
