The Trump administration ousted Gary Shapley as acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, multiple outlets reported on Friday, citing anonymous sources.
Why it matters: The interim position has had a revolving door as President Trump’s pick awaits Senate confirmation.
Driving the news: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent took issue with Shapley’s appointment, as first reported by the New York Times.
- He said Elon Musk pushed to get Shapley installed against the Cabinet member’s knowledge.
- Michael Faulkender, deputy Treasury secretary, is expected to take on the temporary position.
What we’re watching: Trump selected former Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.) to lead the agency, but he hasn’t had a Senate confirmation hearing yet.
Zoom out: The previous interim head, Melanie Krause, resigned after the Treasury Department agreed to release immigrants’ tax data to Immigrations and Customs enforcement.
- The IRS has previously kept undocumented taxpayers’ returns private.
- Sharing this information could help the immigration enforcement agents find undocumented immigrants faster.
Flashback: Shapley, as a career, nonpartisan official in 2023, was one of two IRS whistleblowers in a probe into former President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.
- Shapley alleged that the Justice Department slow-walked its tax investigation into the president’s son and gave him special treatment.
Go deeper: Trump admin asks IRS to rescind Harvard’s tax-exempt status
