Years after the FBI closed several corruption investigations into the Clinton Foundation, the IRS under President Donald Trump’s first term launched a criminal tax probe into the charity. However, the investigation stalled abruptly in spring 2019, despite early signs of strong interest, according to recently released IRS memos and emails reviewed by Just the News.

Two whistleblowers, John Moynihan, a retired DEA financial crimes analyst, and Larry Doyle, a corporate tax compliance expert, met with IRS criminal investigators between January and April 2019. They provided thousands of pages of evidence and filed multiple IRS Form 211 applications, which could have earned them financial rewards if their tips led to recoveries. Early notes showed IRS agents were enthusiastic, even discussing formalizing the whistleblowers as cooperating witnesses and taking possession of nearly 6,300 pages of exhibits.

By late February 2019, the IRS indicated they might pursue a case, but interest quickly cooled. By July, the investigation ceased, with agents stating they “can’t talk about the CF.” Emails revealed confusion within the IRS, including misrouted documents and surprise that the whistleblowers were still involved months after the case was supposedly closed in 2018.

Moynihan and Doyle’s attorney said the IRS abruptly abandoned the inquiry despite requesting their filings. The whistleblowers have since pursued lawsuits in U.S. Tax Court, with a trial tentatively scheduled for December. The Clinton Foundation has denied wrongdoing, calling allegations politically motivated.

The reasons behind the probe’s sudden halt remain unclear, with litigation expected to shed more light on the matter. While field investigators seemed serious about the allegations, higher-level decisions appear to have curtailed momentum, leaving unanswered questions about who stopped the investigation and why.