Letter from Senate Finance Committee Democrats and Leader Schumer to Treasury Inspector General Underscores Need for Firewall Between Political Appointees and Federal Tax Audits
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and 11 members of the Finance Committee called on independent investigators at the Treasury Department to open an investigation into whether Trump administration officials are violating federal laws that prohibit political influence over federal tax audits. The inquiry comes after a top official at the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was reportedly forced out of his position after raising similar concerns.
“We write to request an investigation into alarming reports about White House officials potentially violating a federal law prohibiting senior officials from influencing federal tax audits, including reports that a top official serving the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was forced out of the administration after raising concerns about those potential violations,” the senators wrote. “If recent reporting is accurate and Mr. Kies did in fact advise White House officials of such risks, it is gravely concerning that this administration chose not only to ignore the IRS’ top legal advisor, but to fire him for attempting to follow the law and protect taxpayers.”
Democrats have been sounding the alarm on Trump’s attempts to use the IRS as an extension of his administration to aid himself and his allies while punishing enemies. Earlier in the summer, Finance Committee Democrats called for a bipartisan committee investigation into Trump’s sweetheart audit immunity deal, as well as the $1.8 billion slush fund.
Senators co-signing the letter include Senators Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; Mark Warner, D-Va.; Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.; Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.; Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.; Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Tina Smith, D-Minn.; Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M.; Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.; and Peter Welch, D-Vt.
The text of the letter is here.
A web version of this release is here.
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