President Donald Trump reportedly ousted his acting IRS commissioner after just a few days in the role as a "power struggle" unfolded between a Cabinet member and Elon Musk.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent complained to Trump that, as the head of the department, he should hire the commissioner of the IRS. Instead, Trump appointed Gary Shapley after a recommendation from Musk, bypassing Bessent.
According to a New York Times report, Bessent complained to Trump that the tech billionaire did a "run-around" to get Shapley appointed. Shapley was previously an agent who gained fame after alleging that the Justice Department had slow-walked an investigation into Hunter Biden's taxes.
"Bessent was not consulted or asked for his blessing" regarding Shapley's appointment, the sources told the Times. Trump agreed to "unwind" the decision days after Shapley was appointed.
The report cited "five people with knowledge of the change," saying that "the clash was the latest instance of Mr. Musk’s influence in the Trump administration that has alarmed top officials."
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Bessent’s deputy, Michael Faulkender, is poised to become the third acting commissioner in less than Trump's first 100 days in office.
“Trust must be brought back to the IRS, and I am fully confident that Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender is the right man for the moment,” Bessent said in a statement on Friday.
When he came into office, Trump created the Department of Government Efficiency initiative by executive order and put Musk in charge. That initiative has been behind the upheaval and dismantling of government agencies. Websites, grants, programs, and employees have been cut or frozen under the promise that Trump will save taxpayers trillions.
