Trump to Replace IRS Chief with Ex-Congressman with Ties to Fraud-Plagued Industry

Last night, President-Elect Trump announced he would prematurely end the term of IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel and install former Congressman Billy Long as the agency’s next chief. Long has a track record of extremist views on tax policy and began working in a fraud-plagued industry meant to exploit the Employee Retention Tax Credit soon after he left Congress. In the past, Lang has cosponsored legislation to abolish the IRS and replace the federal income tax with a regressive national sales tax. In response, Americans for Tax Fairness responded with this statement:

“Terminating the most effective IRS Commissioner in recent memory to install an individual who co-sponsored legislation to abolish the agency is a clear signal to wealthy tax cheats everywhere that Trump’s new IRS will serve economic elites at the cost of working families,” said David Kass, ATF’s Executive Director. “It’s alarming that someone who hawked COVID-era tax credits in an industry rife with fraud—costing taxpayers billions—is now positioned to oversee the agency charged with preventing such schemes. This is just the latest example of the incoming administration’s intention to prioritize ultra-wealthy individuals and large corporations to exploit our economy and tax system, harming working people and the next generation. ATF will work to hold Mr. Long accountable for his professional history and extreme positions.”

For more information on the Trump administration appointees, please see our recent report detailing potential conflicts among Trump administration appointees. Additionally, the report reveals that the combined wealth of his nominees and transition team officials exceeds $313 billion. Excluding Elon Musk, Trump’s Cabinet members average $616 million in net worth—616 times the average American household.