EXCLUSIVE — The majority of the IRS’s leaders have contributed to Democratic politicians or promoted left-wing ideas on their personal social media pages, according to a recent memo sent to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and obtained exclusively by the Washington Examiner.
The memo, drafted by the American Accountability Foundation, found that 60% of individuals occupying leadership positions in the IRS’s Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner’s office have financially or verbally supported liberal causes. It also found that not a single person in such a role was a registered Republican, gave money to Republican candidates, or posted conservative messaging on social media. President Donald Trump has aggressively downsized the tax collection agency in an effort to automate many of its functions and to use its vast stores of taxpayer information in service of his policy goals, most notably immigration enforcement.
Opposition to the president’s agenda goes all the way to the top. The New York Times reported last week that IRS acting Commissioner Melanie Krause plans to resign after Immigration and Customs Enforcement reached an agreement with the IRS to share the tax information of illegal immigrants. The agency’s chief financial officer, chief of staff, and chief risk officer are reportedly resigning over the agreement as well.
Pro-Democratic sentiments still run strong among those who are not reportedly resigning.
Elizabeth Askey, head of the agency’s Independent Office of Appeals, has been a registered Democrat since at least 2014, according to the American Accountability Foundation’s review of public records. Chief of Taxpayer Experience Fumi Tamaki has also been a Democrat since 2016 and donated $500 to Virginia Del. Dan Helmer’s (D) congressional campaign in 2017.
Bridget Roberts, head of the agency’s direct file system, has an explicitly anti-Trump history. A registered Democrat since 2010, she contributed to former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2020 and 2024.
The Trump administration has fired roughly 7,000 probationary employees, new hires with less than a year of work, and is drafting plans to reduce the tax agency’s remaining workforce by about half through a mix of layoffs, attrition, and buyouts, according to the Associated Press. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has reportedly established a significant presence at the agency.
Many of the individuals holding leadership positions at the IRS aren’t just one- or two-time small-dollar Democratic donors but committed party funders.
Chief Information Officer Rajiv Uppal, for instance, has made 48 contributions to Democratic political committees since 2016, worth a total of $725. Meanwhile, Chief Data and Analytics Officer Reza Rashidi has donated to Democratic political committees 59 times since 2010, totaling $1,330. Holly Paz, head of the IRS’s Large Business and International Division, gave $4,000 to the 2008 Obama campaign.
While the president’s supporters have argued his cuts would reduce government spending and make tax filing more efficient for Americans, some IRS officials projected that the headcount reduction would lead to less tax revenue being collected, worsening the nation’s financial balance.
In addition to cutting checks to Democrats, the top IRS officials investigated by the American Accountability Foundation reposted pro-Democrat content on X, promoted anti-Trump litigation, spoke in favor of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement, and praised the Biden administration’s policies, the American Accountability Foundation review found.
CONSERVATIVE ‘DARK MONEY ATM’ GRANTED RECORD $351 MILLION LAST YEAR
The American Accountability Foundation is a right-wing nonprofit organization that specializes in compiling research and conducting oversight of the federal government. According to public records, the group receives funding from several mainstream conservative grant makers such as the Conservative Partnership Institute, the Club For Growth Foundation, and Donors Trust.
The IRS did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
