In a surprising turn of events, Acting IRS Commissioner Gary Shapley has been removed from his position following a significant internal conflict with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. This shake-up comes after Shapley’s bold stance as a whistleblower, where he revealed political interference in the Hunter Biden tax fraud investigation. Shapley was appointed as interim IRS Commissioner after Melanie Krause’s resignation.
BIG NEWS: Gary Shapley, the IRS whistleblower who exposed the DOJ’s cover-up of the criminal investigation of Hunter Biden, is now Acting IRS Commissioner.
Congratulations, Gary—your courage and professionalism will transform the IRS.
— GOPoversight
April 2025
Melanie Krause’s departure ensued from controversies over a data-sharing agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Shapley’s subsequent removal appears to stem from an internal power struggle with Secretary Bessent.
Reports suggest that Secretary Bessent was blindsided when he discovered Shapley’s appointment at the IRS came at the behest of Elon Musk, without his prior knowledge. This revelation adds another layer to the ongoing tensions between private influencers and government officials.
On Thursday evening, Laura Loomer took to Twitter to highlight a past confrontation between Bessent and Musk, to which Musk responded, expressing his concerns over Bessent’s strong affiliations.
The strong Soros affiliation is concerning
— Elon Musk
April 18, 2025
The New York Times reported:
President Trump has replaced the acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service after his appointment just days earlier set off a power struggle between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and billionaire Elon Musk, five people with knowledge of the change said Friday.
The new acting leader, Michael Faulkender, replaces Shapley, marking the third leadership change at the IRS in just a week. Secretary Bessent reportedly expressed to President Trump that Musk had maneuvered around him to have Shapley installed, highlighting the growing concern over Musk’s influence within the Trump administration. The public feud between Musk and Bessent became evident when Musk amplified Loomer’s critique of Bessent.
