Senators Seek Answers, Document Preservation on Alleged Efforts to Weaponize IRS Enforcement and Tax-Exempt Status of Left-Leaning Non-Profits
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Finance Committee member Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., today launched an inquiry into reports that the Trump administration is developing plans to use the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) tax enforcement authority to target ideological opponents, including taking away their tax-exempt status.
“We write regarding disturbing reports that senior Treasury officials are developing plans to target left-leaning tax-exempt organizations with IRS enforcement scrutiny and potentially revoke their tax-exempt status,” the senators wrote. “Americans of every political persuasion must be able to trust that the IRS applies the tax code objectively under one set of rules. Organizations that violate section 501(c)(3) should face appropriate enforcement regardless of their politics—and organizations should never face IRS scrutiny because political officials disapprove of their views.”
The letter, sent to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Frank Bisignano, the acting head of the IRS, highlights the multiple ways in which this scheme is illegal, both for senior officials to request IRS enforcement actions and for IRS employees to fail to report the prohibited requests to the Treasury’s independent watchdog.
The senators demanded administration officials disclose any details about the development of this so-called “blueprint,” any communications to direct IRS employees to conduct prohibited enforcement actions, and to preserve any documents or communications associated with this effort.
The text of the letter is here.
A web version of this release is here.
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