IRS criminal investigation into Clinton Foundation halted abruptly in 2019

Imagine a federal investigation into a high-profile charity suddenly grinding to a halt, leaving whistleblowers in the lurch and questions unanswered.

That’s exactly what happened with the IRS probe into the Clinton Foundation, a saga of alleged financial misdeeds, abrupt silence, and lingering suspicions of political meddling that unfolded under the Trump administration in 2019, as Just the News reports.

Back in 2017, two seasoned whistleblowers, John Moynihan, a retired DEA financial crimes analyst, and Larry Doyle, a corporate tax compliance expert, submitted 6,000 pages of evidence to the IRS and FBI, alleging the Clinton Foundation operated inconsistently with its charitable purpose.

Whistleblowers flag serious concerns

They claimed the foundation acted as a foreign agent, commingled personal and charity business, and even made quid pro quo promises to donors during Hillary Clinton’s time as Secretary of State under President Obama.

By December 2018, Moynihan and Doyle testified before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, with Moynihan declaring the foundation “should’ve registered under FARA” for acting as an agent of foreign governments — a charge that, if true, could strip its tax-exempt status.

Well, the IRS initially listened, and by late January 2019, criminal investigators were meeting with the duo, poring over allegations that the foundation, which amassed $2.8 billion and holds over $400 million in assets, wasn’t just building a library as intended.

IRS shows early investigative enthusiasm

Meetings stretched from January to April 2019, with internal emails buzzing about potential coordination with U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Texas and field offices in Dallas and Newark — clear signs of serious interest.

One IRS agent, marveling at a detailed chart linking the foundation to global players like the Gates Foundation and the World Health Organization’s Global Fund, even asked, “Can I take a photo of that?” — a moment of intrigue that hinted at the probe’s depth.

But then, like a car screeching to a stop, the investigation hit a wall in spring 2019, with agents suddenly cutting off contact and one memo bluntly stating they “can’t talk about the CF.”

Probe stops with little explanation

By July 2019, all investigative activity had ceased, leaving Moynihan and Doyle, who had filed multiple applications for whistleblower awards, stunned and empty-handed.

Their lawyer, Brian Della Rocca, didn’t mince words, lamenting to reporters, “We are beyond frustrated,” and pointing out that the claims were shut down by the IRS Whistleblower Office despite evidence of an active probe.

Internal IRS emails from May and June 2019 only deepened the mystery, revealing confusion, lost packages, and conflicting reports about whether an investigation was even ongoing — hardly the transparency taxpayers deserve.

Allegations of misconduct remain unresolved

What’s more, allegations from the whistleblowers painted a troubling picture: personal expenses like travel allegedly paid by the foundation, unauthorized healthcare ventures that reportedly concerned donor Bill Gates, and even a foundation CFO admitting to commingling of activities.

The Clinton Foundation, for its part, has denied any wrongdoing, insisting past compliance hiccups were fixed and that they’ve always followed the law — a claim that might raise eyebrows given the sheer scale of past federal scrutiny.

So here we are, with Moynihan and Doyle now battling in U.S. Tax Court for recognition of their efforts, while the public is left wondering if political interference once again shielded a powerful name from accountability. Turns out, some questions are just too inconvenient to answer.