Trump used an unusual method to get a behind-the-scenes look at IRS tax investigation: report

Former President Donald Trump sent a barrage of Freedom of Information Act requests to the IRS in an attempt to get a behind-the-scenes look at the agency's preparations to turn his tax records over to Congress, Bloomberg reports.

According to one of the FOIA requests, Trump attorney William F. Nelson asked the IRS for communications from IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig and other IRS officials “in connection with the disclosure or potential disclosure of any taxpayer materials” related to the Democrats’ request to see his tax history.

Nelson also asked for records the IRS gave to Senator Ron Wyden of the Senate Finance Committee about a confidential draft memo the IRS prepared in anticipation of Congress’s requests for Trump’s tax returns.

Trump also wanted the IRS to show materials related to the agency's “consideration of the potential disclosure of taxpayer’s tax returns” and records about “tax procedures specific to the president of the United States, including, but not limited, the application of 6103,” which, as Politico points out, is the section of the tax code that oversees the release of taxpayer data.

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Trump also asked for records of a three-hour briefing IRS officials gave the Ways and Means Committee in June of 2019 regarding the presidential audit process.

From Politico:

"Tax lawyers often use FOIA requests to obtain information about internal deliberations over penalties, the appeals process and other tax matters at the IRS, said David Shuster, the tax controversy leader at accounting firm Marcum. But it’s very rare for the FOIA request to come from a sitting president, he said. Shuster also said the most the IRS has ever charged him to process a records request is about $8."

Read the full report over at Bloomberg.