A documentary effort centered on IRS whistleblowers is encountering advertising barriers that organizers say echo earlier content restrictions tied to Hunter Biden reporting.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A documentary project focused on IRS whistleblowers involved in the federal investigation of Hunter Biden is encountering difficulties promoting its fundraising campaign, with organizers alleging that major technology platforms have restricted its advertising efforts.
According to a report by Just the News, attorneys representing the whistleblowers informed congressional leaders that digital advertisements for the film appear to be blocked or limited across multiple platforms.
Tristan Leavitt, president of Empower Oversight, wrote to lawmakers that a crowdfunding effort tied to the documentary Shielded By Power: The Whistleblowers vs. the Big Guy has faced repeated obstacles. In a letter to Congress, Leavitt said the campaign experienced delays during its launch and continues to encounter barriers in digital promotion.
“We write to alert you to alarming big tech suppression of […] a campaign to fund the production of our documentary,” Leavitt stated, describing what he characterized as restrictions affecting outreach efforts on multiple platforms.
The project is being funded through a campaign, and organizers reported that advertising attempts directing viewers to the film’s website have not been approved. Leavitt said that despite meeting platform requirements, accounts connected to the campaign were suspended or limited, and no advertisements have been successfully deployed.
“Meta simply suspended the ad account, removing all user data of even unrelated ads,” Leavitt wrote, adding that similar issues occurred with other platforms. “To date, not a single ad has run on any of the three platforms—and even their customer service representatives can’t explain why.”
Leavitt also stated that one platform representative indicated the company did not “support the scope of this content,” which he cited as evidence of viewpoint-based restrictions. The letter was sent to multiple congressional committee chairs and copied to the White House.
The documentary includes interviews with IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, along with journalists and commentators who have reported on the investigation and related issues.
The concerns raised by organizers draw comparisons to earlier actions taken by social media companies during the 2020 election cycle. At that time, distribution of reporting by The New York Post on Hunter Biden’s business dealings was restricted. Then-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey later acknowledged the decision, stating in a post, “Straight blocking of URLs was wrong, and we updated our policy and enforcement to fix.”
Dorsey further testified before Congress that the company had initially determined the materials were obtained through hacking, saying in a Senate hearing, “We made a quick interpretation… that the materials in the article were obtained through hacking… Upon further consideration, we admitted this action was wrong.”
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg also addressed the handling of the story, stating in a statement shared publicly, “It’s since been made clear that the reporting was not Russian disinformation, and in retrospect, we shouldn’t have demoted the story.”
Zuckerberg later suggested that the platform’s response was influenced by warnings from federal authorities, as noted in reporting by Just the News.
The letter from Empower Oversight states that recent developments indicate “social media companies may again be suppressing particular viewpoints,” raising concerns about consistency in content moderation practices.
The broader context includes legal challenges related to government interaction with technology companies. In 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a lower court ruling in Missouri v. Biden that restricted federal agencies from coordinating with platforms to remove protected speech. The case was later resolved through a settlement, as reported by Reuters.
Testimony and filings in related matters have detailed communication between technology companies and federal agencies ahead of the 2020 election. In a Federal Election Commission declaration, former Twitter official Yoel Roth said meetings with intelligence and law enforcement agencies included discussions about potential “hack-and-leak operations” involving political figures.
Roth also testified in 2023 that companies expanded information-sharing relationships with federal agencies in preparation for election-related risks, as reflected in a congressional document.
Additional complaints filed with the Federal Election Commission alleged bias in content moderation decisions, including a complaint from the RNC, though the commission later rejected the claim.
The whistleblowers at the center of the documentary have previously provided testimony to Congress regarding their concerns about the handling of the Hunter Biden investigation, including claims about investigative limitations and prosecutorial decisions.
Court records show Hunter Biden was convicted on firearms-related charges in 2024 and later entered a guilty plea in a tax case. A prior plea agreement, described by some lawmakers as a “sweetheart deal”, collapsed after judicial review.
Former President Joe Biden later pardoned his son before leaving office.
Empower Oversight’s letter also referenced earlier investigative findings, including claims that federal authorities had verified the authenticity of a laptop linked to Hunter Biden prior to public reporting, as detailed in archived material reviewed by investigators.
The organization further cited issues related to foreign business dealings and enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, referencing prior reporting on activities in Ukraine.
As of publication, Meta, X, and Google had not publicly responded to the allegations outlined in the letter.