Former Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held Joe Biden’s administration liable for precipitating an unmerited tax audit from the Internal Revenue Service. Hegseth implied the audit, aimed at him, was a calculated political move. In his virulent proclamation, he voiced, ‘It’s a complete farce that the IRS under Biden’s administration aggrandized an ‘audit’ for me the second I was designated as the incoming Defense Secretary.’ He continued his argument by stating, ‘The purportedly ‘decent’ and ‘norm-abiding’ Harris-Biden administration has outreached once more, and we will forever stand unfallen in face of such targeted onslaughts.’
Alongside his strongly-worded declaration, Hegseth scattered across the internet an image showcasing an alleged impending tax bill totalling $33,558.16. Billionaire philanthropist Elon Musk sided in support of Hegseth, offering up a succinct comment reflecting on the Biden administration’s approach, ‘They can’t resist these low gut punches.’ At the time of writing, both the Department of Defense and IRS haven’t addressed the issue publicly nor commented on the allegations fronted by Hegseth.
Further controversy has been stoked as Musk, distinguished for heavy investments into political campaigns, along with his governmental department have requested access to the IRS’ internal infrastructures. These systems notably store a wealth of taxpayers’ personal details and acquirement data. The crux of their justification for their plea is rooted in a desire to weed out tax fraud within the system.
Despite their seemingly reasonable appeal, the Biden-led government’s rationale remains unsupported by evidentiary claims of tax fraud in excess of the billions that the IRS routinely flags annually. An unidentified official alluded to the potential hidden depths of financial malpractice, claiming the scope of the issue couldn’t be accurately measured until their department was granted unrestricted admittance. The underlying agenda of this procedure was allegedly to identify unnecessary expanse, which, when eliminated, could drastically reduce federal spending.
Heated debates around politically-motivated auditing have entrenched their roots in contemporary discourse, and Biden’s administration hasn’t been exempt. There have been cases in which individuals challenged the standard prosecutorial handling of tax-related offences making allegations of political bias, although these proved ineffective.
In an intriguing case, a person was acquitted of their charges following their allegations that their indictment for failing a hefty $1.4 million in IRS dues was politically manipulated. They argued these charges wouldn’t have held for anyone outside the realm of political disfavor. Their vindication raised further concerns over the administration’s handling of such situations.
The IRS, while under the helm of appointees from previous regimes, once formally requested evaluations from a governmental oversight body. The request was in regards to two unusually intrusive tax audits initiated against one-time federal officials amid heated political tension. These audits were classified as anomalous due to the official’s recent drawing of political rancor.
The implications of these instances cast a negative light on both the Biden administration and previous administrations, suggesting the utilization of tax audits as a political weapon. This predisposes actors on the political stage to punitive scrutiny, a reality that undermines the fabric of a fair and just society.