Trump Administration Has Been Trying to Use the IRS to Pursue Political Opponents For Years
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, in a hearing before the House Ways and Means Committee, U.S. Representative Terri Sewell (D-AL) asked Internal Revenue Service Chief Executive Officer Frank Bisignano whether Donald Trump, or anyone at the White House, had asked the IRS to investigate any American taxpayer or organization. Bisignano claimed that they hadn’t. That claim runs counter to multiple reports, during this Trump administration and the last one, that Trump and those around him are doing everything they can to pressure the IRS to investigate liberal nonprofits, as well as Trump’s political opponents. In addition to this false claim, Bisignano bumbled his way through the hearing, repeatedly unable to answer basic questions from members across the spectrum, resulting in a reprimanding by Republican Representative Max Miller (R-OH) for being inadequately prepared for his appearance before the Committee.
The truth that Bisingana failed to admit, is that the Trump administration has launched an assault on civil society, doing everything it can to intimidate and silence organizations it disagrees with. Trump has weaponized the IRS to target progressive organizations simply because he opposes their views.
Here is the exchange:
Rep. Sewell: “Has the President or anyone from the White House asked the IRS to audit, investigate, prosecute any taxpayer or organization?”
Frank Bisignano: “No, ma’am.”
Rep. Sewell: “Has Secretary Bessent or his staff made any similar requests?”
Frank Bisignano: “Never.”
See below for a full fact-check of Bisignano’s claim.
Donald Trump Has A History Of Attempting To Politicize IRS Enforcement, And Reports Are He’s Trying To Do It Again.
Late Last Year, The Wall Street Journal Reported The Trump Administration Was Preparing To Make Changes Enabling The IRS “To Pursue Criminal Inquiries Of Left-Leaning Groups More Easily.”
October 2025: The Wall Street Journal Reports The Trump Administration Was Preparing To Make Changes Enabling The IRS “To Pursue Criminal Inquiries Of Left-Leaning Groups More Easily.” “The Trump administration is preparing sweeping changes at the Internal Revenue Service that would allow the agency to pursue criminal inquiries of left-leaning groups more easily, according to people familiar with the matter. A senior IRS official involved in the effort has drawn up a list of potential targets that includes major Democratic donors, some of the people said.” [Wall Street Journal, 10/15/25]
- The Effort At The IRS Coincided With “A Larger Administration Effort To Probe Left-Leaning Groups For Helping To Finance Organizations That The President Says Are Creating Anarchy.” “The effort within the IRS coincides with a larger administration effort to probe left-leaning groups for helping to finance organizations that the president says are creating anarchy in Democratic-led cities.” [Wall Street Journal, 10/15/25]
- President Trump Had Reportedly Directed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent To Identify “Financial Networks” The President Claims Are Fomenting Political Violence. “Trump has directed Bessent, who is also acting IRS commissioner, to identify financial networks that the president says are fomenting political violence. Democrats say the effort is politically motivated and not based on real evidence. ‘Scott will do that. That’s easy for Scott,’ Trump said during a recent cabinet meeting about Bessent’s helping with the investigation. [Wall Street Journal, 10/15/25]
Former Trump Chief Of Staff John Kelly Said During Trump’s First Term He Also Called For His Political Opponents To Be Investigated By The IRS, And At Least Two Of Them Ultimately Were Audited While A Trump Political Appointee Was Running The IRS.
Former Trump Chief Of Staff John Kelly Told The New York Times, That President Trump Repeatedly Told Him “That He Wanted A Number Of His Perceived Political Enemies To Be Investigated By The Internal Revenue Service.” “While in office, President Donald J. Trump repeatedly told John F. Kelly, his second White House chief of staff, that he wanted a number of his perceived political enemies to be investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Kelly said. Mr. Kelly, who was chief of staff from July 2017 through the end of 2018, said in response to questions from The New York Times that Mr. Trump’s demands were part of a broader pattern of him trying to use the Justice Department and his authority as president against people who had been critical of him, including seeking to revoke the security clearances of former top intelligence officials.” [New York Times, 11/13/22]
- Kelly Claimed That Trump Specifically Wanted The IRS To Investigate “Former F.B.I. Director James B. Comey And His Deputy, Andrew G. McCabe.” “Mr. Kelly said that among those Mr. Trump said “we ought to investigate” and “get the I.R.S. on” were the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey and his deputy, Andrew G. McCabe. His account of Mr. Trump’s desires to use the I.R.S. against his foes comes after the revelation by The Times this summer that Mr. Comey and Mr. McCabe had both been selected for a rare and highly intrusive audit by the tax agency in the years after Mr. Kelly left the White House.” [New York Times, 11/13/22]
- “After Mr. Kelly Left The Administration, Mr. Comey Was Informed In 2019 That His 2017 Returns Were Being Audited, And Mr. McCabe Learned In 2021 That His 2019 Returns Were Being Audited. At The Time Both Audits Occurred, The I.R.S. Was Led By A Trump Political Appointee.” [New York Times, 11/13/22]
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