In a sudden reversal, President Donald Trump has ousted acting IRS Commissioner Gary Shapley just four days after appointing him, installing Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender as the tax agency’s new interim leader. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the shakeup Friday night, emphasizing the need to “bring trust back to the IRS” while insisting Shapley would remain a senior advisor.
The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of the IRS, with Shapley a whistleblower who alleged DOJ gave Hunter Biden preferential treatment during its tax probe originally seen as Trump’s reform-minded pick. Bessent framed the change as a strategic shift, pledging Shapley and fellow whistleblower Joseph Ziegler would assume senior roles after completing their yearlong investigation into alleged Biden administration misconduct.
The abrupt leadership swap signals brewing tensions over the IRS’s direction, particularly as the agency faces pressure from conservatives to overhaul its enforcement priorities and maintain focus on high-profile political investigations.
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