IRS chief asks Treasury watchdog to probe audits of ex-FBI officials FILE PHOTO: Former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe speaks during a forum on election security in WashingtonBy David LawderWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Charles Rettig asked the Treasury Department's internal watchdog to investigate how two former FBI officials vilified by former President Donald Trump were selected for intensive tax audits, the IRS said on Thursday. Comey was fired in 2017, while McCabe was dismissed in 2018, and later wrote a memoir decrying Trump's "relentless attacks" on the agency. Comey was informed of his 2017 tax year audit in 2019, while McCabe was notified of his audit in 2021. "Audits are handled by career civil servants, and the IRS has strong safeguards in place to protect the exam process – and against politically motivated audits," the IRS said. "It’s ludicrous and untrue to suggest that senior IRS officials somehow targeted specific individuals for National Research Program audits."

Source: New York Times July 07, 2022 21:17 UTC