WASHINGON, D.C. –A U.S. senator from Oregon is voicing his opinion about a new report into former President Donald Trump’s alleged weaponization of the Internal Revenue Service during his time in office.
Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) released the following statement in reaction to New York Times reporting on Donald Trump requesting IRS investigations into his political enemies:
“No one is surprised Donald Trump tried to sic the IRS on his political enemies. He has no respect for the rule of law, and operates like a mob boss. For Republicans concerned about the potential for IRS political targeting—the calls were coming from inside the house. The Inspector General is investigating this disturbing matter, and I plan to reach out to General Kelly given the latest reporting from the New York Times.”
Former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, who once served in the Trump administration, told the New York Times that former FBI Director James Comey and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe were among the people Trump wanted the IRS to investigate.
The pair, both fierce critics of Trump, were ultimately selected for an intensive tax audit.
The Times noted earlier this year that the odds of any one person being selected for the audit are about one in 30,600. That raises questions about how two of Trump’s most visible critics were both selected.
Earlier this year, the IRS denied any “politically motivated audits” and Kelly told the Times he believes he guided Trump away from seeking out such investigations during his tenure as chief of staff.
Still, earlier this year, the head of the IRS asked a watchdog to investigate the decision to conduct audits on the pair.
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