Top US tax lawyer forced out after White House clash over tax audits
Kies leaves after warning White House requests could violate federal rules barring officials from steering IRS audits, according to people familiar with the matter.
- On Friday, Assistant Treasury Secretary Kenneth Kies was forced from his post after refusing White House requests to participate in tax audits, citing Section 7217 of the Internal Revenue Code.
- Kies reportedly clashed behind the scenes with White House officials over audit demands and refused to support work linked to a Justice Department settlement granting the Trump administration broad tax immunity.
- Ruling the settlement served an "improper purpose," a federal judge recently struck down the $1.8 billion settlement fund for alleged "government weaponization." Kies previously served as Donald Trump's tax lawyer.
- Following his ouster, Kies is expected to leave in mid-August, and Trump recently nominated tax attorney James Gadwood, a former Trump Organization representative, to take his place as the IRS's top lawyer.
- The clash underscores institutional tensions over the IRS's independence, though administration officials cited concerns about Kies' temperament. Section 7217 remains the primary statutory safeguard against political influence over the tax code.
6 Articles
6 Articles
IRS’s top tax lawyer forced out after clash with White House
The U.S. tax agency’s top attorney was forced from his role in recent days after refusing White House demands to participate in tax audits, according to three people familiar with the matter. Ken Kies, the Internal Revenue Service’s acting chief counsel and Treasury Department assistant secretary for tax policy, told administration officials their requests would...
Top US tax lawyer forced out after White House clash over tax audits
The U.S. tax agency’s top attorney was forced from his role in recent days after refusing White House demands to participate in tax audits, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Tax Official Ousted After Warning White House
“The Treasury Department’s top tax policy official was forced out of his job after he warned that the White House was at risk of violating a federal law prohibiting senior officials’ involvement in IRS audits, according to people familiar with the matter,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Kenneth Kies, an assistant Treasury secretary and acting […]
Treasury Official Fired After He Reportedly Warned White House Might Be Violating Law
AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein Assistant Treasury Secretary Kenneth Kies has been ousted after he reportedly warned that the Trump administration was potentially violating a law prohibiting White House officials from intervening in IRS audits, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Kies also serves as acting chief counsel of the IRS. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the Journal said Kies will be exiting in the coming weeks. The report…
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