After four years of chaos, incompetence, and weaponization of the entire Federal government, the Trump administration has been a breath of fresh air. But when it comes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), there’s a chance for Secretary Scott Bessent to do much more to restore the trust of Americans in a badly damaged agency.
As our readers know, the IRS has been rocked by scandals that have shattered public trust, particularly among the Republican-leaning Americans that have been targeted. Hill sources tell the Washington Reporter that under the Biden administration, the IRS targeted private businesses with unfair treatment, making policy with biased Revenue Rulings that bent the law to harm companies. This targeting is well known in the partnership space, but it likely is happening in other areas too.
And the real scandals go further back, including the 2013 Tea Party scandal, where conservative groups were attacked by refusing to obtain tax-exempt status because of politics.
What’s alarming is that even in the first months of the Trump administration, some of the IRS’s personnel who were alleged to have been biased or involved in these issues remained in their roles. More recently, a top IRS lawyer, Anthony Sacco, was placed on leave after fears of ongoing politicization. Before that, one of Lois Lerner’s deputies was placed on leave for the same concerns. These incidents have fueled perceptions of an agency that has remained weaponized against Republicans, even after President Trump’s historic landslide win.
The unfortunate reality is that former Commissioner Billy Long made some reforms, but he failed failed to purge far-left employees who weaponized the agency, allowing partisan influence to fester. The fact that revenue rulings that set policy have been allowed to remain in place is concerning, and our sources on the Hill say it’s driving mistrust in the agency today. How can any conservative trust the IRS until there is full reform at the agency?
The good news is Secretary Bessent has an outstanding opportunity to restore credibility in the agency with three immediate steps:
First, he should order a comprehensive review of any IRS weaponization, extending beyond high-profile cases to include actions by career employees. The 2013 scandal revealed systemic biases, with employees using political keywords to flag applications. An independent audit would uncover lingering issues and signal a commitment to fairness.
Second, Bessent should suspend all revenue rulings and policies drafted by politicized employees, pending objective review. This ensures tax policy reflects legal standards, not partisan agendas, reassuring businesses and taxpayers of the IRS’s neutrality. The Secretary should also immediately stop all enforcement that relies on the same unlawful foundation as these biased rulings.
Finally, Bessent must institute a pledge of data security and transparency, with a zero-tolerance policy for politicization. Employees engaging in partisan conduct should face immediate termination. Regular public reporting on IRS operations would further demonstrate accountability and protect taxpayer data.
By implementing these reforms, Bessent can steer the IRS toward impartiality, rebuild trust, and ensure the agency serves all Americans equitably, not just those aligned with a particular ideology. He can also fulfill President Trump’s mandate to end the weaponization of government and yes–make the IRS great again.