Aside from promoting right-wing extremism and enriching himself, weaponizing the IRS in ways favorable to Donald Trump seems to be a top priority for the president and members of his administration.
Earlier this week, a federal judge condemned Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit and eventual “settlement” with the IRS as a case brought “in bad faith” — effectively, one filed against his own administration — and designed to “confer immunity to people and entities affiliated with the President.”
And just days later, there’s reporting on the Trump regime pushing out the top tax official at the Treasury Department. The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that Kenneth Kies, an assistant treasury secretary and the acting chief counsel of the IRS, was “forced out” after he warned that the White House was at risk of violating a law barring officials from intervening in IRS audits.
According to the report:
Kies at times clashed behind the scenes with White House officials, the people said. That included a recent meeting in which he contended that a potential White House request would violate Section 7217 of the Internal Revenue Code, one of the people said. That law prohibits the president, vice president, White House staff and certain agency heads from directly or indirectly requesting that the IRS conduct or terminate an audit or investigation of any particular taxpayer.
The Journal also included some important historical context:
Violations are punishable with up to five years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines, and IRS officials have long seen the prohibition as an important shield against the kind of political interference that President Richard Nixon tried to impose on the tax agency.
MS NOW has not independently confirmed the report. The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to MS NOW’s request for comment. The Journal reported that Kies declined to comment.
Ja’han Jones
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.
© 2026 Versant Media, LLC
