President Donald Trump is ousting Billy Long from his position as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service simply two months after he was confirmed to the place, 4 sources acquainted advised NCS.
Trump has already chosen Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to serve as the acting head of the IRS whereas the administration seeks a extra everlasting substitute, in accordance with two White House officers.
Trump is predicted to appoint Long, a former GOP congressman, for an ambassadorship, three of the sources acquainted advised NCS.
The IRS has confronted an unusually turbulent period in Trump’s second time period, churning by a number of totally different leaders.
The IRS referred remark to the Treasury Department, and Treasury didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. Long’s elimination was first reported by The New York Times.
Long was an unorthodox decide to guide the IRS, given his limited tax experience, his ties to a fraud-riddled tax credit score, and his previous assist for abolishing the company. But there weren’t any public indicators in latest weeks that the Trump loyalist’s future on the IRS was in jeopardy.
Known for his gregarious and pleasant character, Long often despatched staff-wide emails to all IRS staff telling them they may depart early on Fridays, a supply acquainted advised NCS. He despatched one among these emails on Thursday, with the topic line: “It’s Almost FriYay,” in accordance with a duplicate of the message obtained by NCS.
In that company-wide missive, he shared classes from one among his fraternity brothers who he mentioned runs the father or mother firm of Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, and talked about “building a new culture at the IRS.” As in earlier weeks, Long advised the workers they may depart early earlier than the weekend.
“With this being Thursday before another FriYay, please enjoy a 70-minute early exit tomorrow,” Long wrote. “That way you’ll be well rested for my 70th birthday on Monday.”
He signed the message: “Call Me Billy.”
With Long’s departure, and with Bessent taking on as acting commissioner, seven totally different individuals have led the beleaguered company since Trump gained the 2024 election.
There hasn’t ever been this degree of rapid-fire turnover on the commissioner degree in IRS historical past. And there has additionally been vital tumult among the many rank-and-file: The company misplaced 25% of its workforce underneath Trump amid authorities cuts and mass buyouts, in accordance with a July inspector basic report.
The Biden-appointed and Senate-confirmed commissioner Danny Werfel resigned when Trump took workplace, though his statutory five-year time period hadn’t expired.
Werfel was succeeded as acting commissioner by Doug O’Donnell, a profession official who abruptly retired in February after coverage clashes with Trump appointees. Then got here Melanie Krause, one other profession official, who resigned in April after Trump allies pushed by a deal to share delicate taxpayer knowledge with immigration companies.
Trump then announced that the following acting commissioner can be Gary Shapley, a profession IRS agent who’s greatest recognized for going public with allegations that the Justice Department went simple on Hunter Biden whereas investigating his taxes. But Shapley’s appointment was opposed by Bessent — and Shapley was ousted inside days.
One of Bessent’s allies, Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender, then took over as acting commissioner earlier than the GOP-run Senate confirmed Long in June.
This story has been up to date with extra reporting and context.