ABC Ignores, CBS Touts Hunter Biden 'Going on the Offensive' Against IRS

September 18th, 2023 10:30 PM

President Joe Biden’s drug addict son Hunter Biden launched a frivolous lawsuit Monday against his father’s own IRS due to the agency allegedly releasing his tax records during a whistleblower report against the agency.

While ABC's World News Tonight ignored this escalation from Hunter Biden's team, the CBS Evening News chose not to simply report on it. Instead, they touted Hunter “going on the offensive” against the IRS. In a random act of journalism, NBC Nightly News played it straight and reported the facts of the story. 

“Tonight Hunter Biden's legal team is going on the offensive, filing a lawsuit against the IRS for the alleged unlawful release of his private tax details,” CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell hyped in her biased report. 

“Attorneys claim two agents violated Biden’s privacy rights when they disclosed his tax information during media interviews including with CBS News,” O’Donnell added.

By contrast, on NBC Nightly News, left out the editorializing of Hunter Biden “going on the offensive.” 

Anchor Lester Holt set up the segment by reporting “Hunter Biden sued the Internal Revenue Service today. The President's son arguing the agency violated his privacy rights when two whistleblowers testified about a tax investigation.”

Correspondent Ryan Nobles took over and fairly reported both sides: 

Tonight Hunter Biden suing the IRS, arguing the agency and two whistleblower employees have sought to publicly damage his reputation. Those two agents testified under oath the Justice Department gave the President's son special treatment in its tax investigation. Biden's lawsuit says the whistleblowers, quote, 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. Career IRS agent and whistleblower Joe Ziegler recently telling NBC's Tom Winter investigators were prevented from interviewing witnesses. 

Nobles then reminded viewers of Hunter Biden’s mounting legal troubles: “Biden was just indicted on three gun charges and faces the possibility of additional tax charges after the plea deal struck with prosecutors that would have allowed him to avoid prison time imploded under a judge's scrutiny.” 

CBS Evening News’s biased reporting was made possible by Ensure

The transcripts are below: 

CBS Evening News
9/18/2023
6:41:51 p.m. Eastern 

NORAH O’DONNELL: Tonight Hunter Biden's legal team is going on the offensive, filing a lawsuit against the IRS for the alleged unlawful release of his private tax details. Attorneys claim two agents violated Biden’s privacy rights when they disclosed his tax information during media interviews including with CBS News. Biden was indicted last week on federal charges related to his purchase of a firearm in October 2018 while he was a drug user. The IRS said it won't comment due to pending litigation. 

NBC Nightly News
9/18/2023
6:39:48 p.m. Eastern

LESTER HOLT: Hunter Biden sued the Internal Revenue Service today. The President's son arguing the agency violated his privacy rights when two whistleblowers testified about a tax investigation. Ryan Nobles has that story. 

RYAN NOBLES: Tonight Hunter Biden suing the IRS, arguing the agency and two whistleblower employees have sought to publicly damage his reputation. Those two agents testified under oath the Justice Department gave the President's son special treatment in its tax investigation. Biden's lawsuit says the whistleblowers, quote, 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. Career IRS agent and whistleblower Joe Ziegler recently telling NBC's Tom Winter investigators were prevented from interviewing witnesses. 

JOE ZIEGLER: We were hamstrung by prosecutors assigned to the case constantly. 

NOBLES: Attorneys for whistleblower Gary Shapley calling the lawsuit a, quote, frivolous smear by Biden family attorneys to intimidate any current and future whistleblowers. Biden was just indicted on three gun charges and faces the possibility of additional tax charges after the plea deal struck with prosecutors that would have allowed him to avoid prison time imploded under a judge's scrutiny. And a spokesperson for the IRS tells NBC News they do not comment on pending litigation. Lester?