NonilexJun 12, 2025

Ex-congressman #BillyLong confirmed as commissioner of the #IRS, an agency he once sought to abolish

Fmr US Rep. Billy Long of #Missouri was confirmed on Thurs to lead the IRS, giving the beleaguered agency he once sought to abolish a permanent commissioner after months of acting leaders & massive staffing cuts that have threatened to derail next year’s #tax filing season.

#USpol #law #Trump #idiocracy
https://apnews.com/article/billy-long-confirmed-irs-commissioner-67cd8daaa53a53c4ebf1262de1ede5e6

Former Missouri congressman Long confirmed as IRS commissioner

Former congressman Billy Long of Missouri has been confirmed to lead the Internal Revenue Service, an agency he once sought to abolish. Long's confirmation on a 53-44 Senate vote Thursday gives the beleaguered IRS a permanent commissioner after months of acting leaders and massive staffing cuts that have threatened to derail next year's tax filing system. Democratic senators strongly opposed Long's nomination based on the Republican’s past work for a firm that pitched a fraud-ridden coronavirus pandemic-era tax break and on campaign contributions he received after President Donald Trump picked him. While in Congress, Long sponsored legislation to get rid of the IRS, the agency he's now tasked with leading.

AP News
Show threadNonilexJun 12, 2025

The #Senate confirmed #BillyLong on a 53-44 vote despite #Democrats’ concerns about the #Republican’s past work for a firm that pitched a #fraud-ridden #coronavirus #pandemic-era #tax break & about campaign contributions he received after #Trump nominated him to serve as #IRS commissioner.

#USpol #law #corruption

Show threadNonilexJun 12, 2025

While in #Congress, where he served from 2011 to 2023, #BillyLong sponsored legislation to get rid of the #IRS, the agency he is now tasked with leading. A former auctioneer, Long has NO background in #tax administration.

#USpol #law #corruption #Trump #idiocracy

Show threadNonilexJun 12, 2025

#BillyLong will take over an #IRS undergoing massive change, including #layoffs & voluntary retirements of tens of thousands of workers & accusations that then-#Trump adviser #ElonMusk’s #DOGE mishandled sensitive #taxpayer #data. Unions & advocacy organizations have sued to block DOGE’s access to the #information.

#USpol #law #corruption #InfoSec #privacy #Trump #idiocracy

Show threadNonilexJun 12, 2025

The #IRS was one of the highest-profile agencies still without a #Senate-confirmed leader. Before #BillyLong’s confirmation, the IRS shuffled through 4 acting leaders, including one who resigned over a deal between the IRS & #DHS to share #immigrants’ #tax data with #ICE & another whose appointment led to a fight between #Musk & #Treasury Secretary #ScottBessent.

#USpol #law #corruption #InfoSec #privacy #Trump #idiocracy

Show threadNonilex

After leaving #Congress to mount an unsuccessful bid for the US #Senate, #BillyLong worked with a firm that distributed the #pandemic-era employee retention #tax credit. That tax credit program was eventually shut down after then-#IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel determined that it was #fraudulent.

#USpol #law #corruption #InfoSec #privacy #Trump #idiocracy

Jun 12, 2025 at 6:43pmWeb
Show threadNonilexJun 12, 2025

Democrats called for a #criminal investigation into #BillyLong’s connections to other alleged #tax credit loopholes. The lawmakers allege that firms connected to Long duped investors into spending millions of dollars to purchase fake tax credits.

Long appeared before the #Senate #Finance Committee last month & denied any wrongdoing related to his involvement in the tax credit scheme.

#USpol #law #corruption #fraud #InfoSec #privacy #Trump #idiocracy

Show threadNonilexJun 12, 2025

Ahead of the vote, Sen #RonWyden (D-OR) the ranking member of the #Senate #Finance Cmte, sent a letter to WH chief of staff #SusieWiles blasting the requisite #FBI background check conducted on #BillyLong as a political appointee as inadequate.

“…the FBI’s investigation, a process dictated by the White House, seemed designed to avoid substantively addressing any of these concerning public reports. It’s almost as if the FBI is unable to read the newspaper.”

#law #corruption #fraud #Trump

Show threadNonilexJun 12, 2025

Democratic lawmakers have also written to #BillyLong & his associated firms detailing concerns with what they call unusually timed contributions made to Long’s defunct 2022 #Senate campaign committee shortly after #Trump nominated him.

The #IRS faces an uncertain future under Long. #Tax experts have voiced concerns that the 2026 filing season could be hampered by the departure of so many tax collection workers.

#USpol #law #corruption #fraud #InfoSec #privacy #Trump #idiocracy

Show threadNonilexJun 12, 2025

In April, The AP reported that the #IRS planned to cut as many as 20,000 staffers — up to 25% of the workforce. An #IRS representative on Thursday confirmed the IRS had shed about that many workers but said the cuts amounted to approximately the same number of IRS jobs [necessarily] added under the #Biden admin.

#USpol #law #corruption #fraud #InfoSec #privacy #Trump #idiocracy

Show threadNonilexJun 12, 2025
The fate of the #DirectFile program, the #free electronic #tax return filing system developed during President #Biden’s #Democratic admin, is also unclear. #Republican lawmakers & commercial tax preparation companies had complained it was a waste of #taxpayer money because free filing programs already exist, although they are hard to use. #BillyLong said during his confirmation hearing that it would be one of the first programs that come up for discussion if he were confirmed.
#law #fraud #Trump