IRS CEO defiant as Washington asks who’s running things - Politico

Politico
April 1, 2026
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IRS commissioner is resisting oversight questions about who controls the agency's operations and priorities.

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The IRS commissioner has taken a defiant stance amid questions from Washington officials about who is actually directing the agency's operations and priorities. The friction suggests uncertainty or disagreement over the chain of command at the Internal Revenue Service during a period when the Trump administration has made tax enforcement and agency accountability central policy concerns. The commissioner's resistance to oversight inquiries could signal either institutional resistance to White House direction or a dispute over delegated authority within the executive branch. Control of the IRS has become a flashpoint in broader debates about executive power and which officials should set the agency's agenda. The standoff underscores tensions between career IRS leadership and political appointees working to reshape the agency's direction.

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