October 22,2025

Wyden, Schumer, Warren Sound Alarm Over Trump Weaponization of the IRS Against the Free Speech Rights of Trump Opponents

Joined by All Finance Committee Democrats, Democratic Senators Demand to Know Who Authorized Illegal Weaponization of the IRS and What Individuals and Groups the Trump Administration is Targeting in its Attack on Free Speech in America

Washington, D.C. – Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today demanded answers about the Trump administration’s reported plans to weaponize the IRS criminal-investigative division in an attack on the free speech rights of progressive individuals and groups the president sees as opponents. Joined by all the Democratic members of the Finance Committee, the Senators noted that politically motivated interference in the administration of tax law is prohibited under federal law and can result in criminal penalties including incarceration. They sought to learn who has directed and participated in this IRS weaponization, what changes the administration intends to make to IRS policy, and what individuals and groups the administration is targeting as part of this abusive, illegal weaponization scheme.

“Federal law prohibits political interference with the administration of tax laws and bars the President, Vice President, White House staff, and all Cabinet-level officials except for the Attorney General from requesting investigations into specific taxpayers,” the Senators wrote. “Any effort to weaponize the IRS against President Trump’s perceived enemies is against the law, an abuse of power, and a threat to the integrity of our democratic institutions. [The IRS] cannot be the President’s political attack dog. You must immediately end all attempts to politicize the agency, including attempts to use the agency to attack Americans with different political views.”

The Senators’ letter, available in full here, asked the following of Treasury Secretary and Acting IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent as well as Gary Shapley, deputy chief of the IRS Criminal Investigation division:

  1. Describe the exact changes that have been made to the structure and operations of IRS-CI since January 20, 2025, and other planned or anticipated changes, including the timeline for implementation of future changes.

    1. Provide copies of all memoranda, briefing material, or other documents describing the changes or implementing the changes.

    2. Describe any changes or directions to deviate from Part 9, Criminal Investigations, of the Internal Revenue Manual.

    3. Identify all executive-level officials whose approval was or will be required to implement the changes.

    4. Identify all officials who were involved in the decision making process, including Treasury and White House officials.

  2. Secretary Bessent, is it correct that President Trump directed you to identify financial networks which he says are fomenting political violence?

    1. Did he or any of his advisors name any individuals or groups which he believes to be involved in such networks? Please provide a list of any individuals or groups named in this context.

    2. If so, provide the criteria, and legal basis for such criteria, which the IRS would use to determine whether a group is “fomenting political violence.”

  3. Is it correct that one or more officials have “drawn up a list of potential targets that includes major Democratic donors?”

    1. Please describe the process by which the list was developed, including the identity of all personnel who contributed names to the list and all input provided from the White House and Treasury (excluding the IRS).

    2. Provide a list of all “targets” on this list.

    3. Provide the criteria being used to determine who should be targeted by this effort.

    4. Provide a list of each person involved in development of this list, including, but not limited to, Treasury personnel and any IRS employees that are also acting as staff or advisors to the Treasury Department and vice-versa.

    5. It has been reported that a report created by Capital Research Center has been used as a basis for accusing the Open Society Foundations of supporting groups that commit acts of terrorism or extremist violence. However, the president of Capital Research Center, Scott Walter, has acknowledged that his organization’s report made no such conclusion. Has this report, or any other report produced by the Capital Research Center, been used to identify “targets” for IRS personnel to investigate?

  4. Is it true that Mr. Shapley “has told people that he is going to replace Guy Ficco, the chief of the investigative unit, who has been at the agency for decades.”?

    1. If so, who will be involved in this decision?

    2. Have you made—or are you planning to make—any other personnel changes at IRS-CI? Please describe those changes.

  5. Is it true that Mr. Shapley is proposing changes to the rules on how IRS criminal probes are conducted including reducing the role of chief counsel attorneys? If so, describe the proposed changes in detail, including any changes or deviations from the procedures and processes in Part 38, Chief Counsel Directives Manual – Criminal Tax.

  6. Have you consulted with career Treasury and/or IRS legal counsel on any changes to IRS-CI, and, if so, please provide the feedback you received including any legal opinions regarding these changes?

  7. Please confirm that you will fully cooperate with all investigations of this issue by any member of this Committee, TIGTA, the Treasury Inspector General, and GAO, or other oversight bodies?

  8. Secretary Bessent, given that your personal and professional history with George Soros is the source of much of your own personal fortune, will you commit to recusing yourself from any matters related to him or his organizations?

The text of the letter is here.

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