Groundwork’s DiVito Blasts Senate Finance Committee Vote Advancing Billy Long’s Confirmation to Head IRS
Groundwork’s DiVito Blasts Senate Finance Committee Vote Advancing Billy Long’s Confirmation to Head IRS
Today, the Senate Finance Committee voted to advance former U.S. Representative Billy Long’s nomination to lead the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Groundwork Collaborative’s Senior Advisor for Economic Policy Emily DiVito reacted with the following statement:
“Senate Republicans’ vote to advance Billy Long’s nomination to lead the IRS is a direct attack on the agency’s ability to ensure fair enforcement of our tax system. Not only does Long lack tax policy experience and has countless conflicts of interest, Long has spent his career trying to destroy and defraud the agency. He is not fit to lead the IRS, and today’s vote is yet another example of Senate Republicans siding with wealthy tax cheats over working families.”
BACKGROUND
Long has a track-record of working to undermine the IRS – from advocating to dismantle the agency and politicizing it, to pushing fraudulent tax advice and tilting the tax system toward wealthy tax cheats.
When given the opportunity to address these concerns with his nomination to the Senate Finance Committee, he only further implicated himself – yet Senate Republicans have just given him their stamp of approval anyway.
Here’s Billy Long in his own words:
- Long wouldn’t admit that the fake “tribal tax credits” he helped peddle are, in fact, fake. Long was paid $65,000 to promote “tribal tax credits” that the IRS has confirmed don’t actually exist. Even worse, Long received campaign donations for a firm hawking these fake credits. After several evasive answers from Long, Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) asked whether Long believes these so-called tribal tax credits actually exist. Long responded: “I can’t answer yes or no. Because I do not know. I think the jury’s still out on that. I know since 2022 [the IRS has] been accepting them, now they claim they are not.”
- In an official response, the IRS told the Committee, “We can confirm that these tax credits do not exist. Taxpayers who claim credits that don’t exist are subject to penalties and possible examination. Furthermore, promoters of these credits may be subject to civil or criminal penalties.”
- Long tried to parse words and backtrack after he was caught promoting tax fraud. Ranking Member Wyden asked Long about a YouTube video in which Long encouraged the audience to ignore their accountants’ advice and seek the employee retention tax credit. Long told the committee: “I said virtually everyone qualifies, meaning that most people – virtually – most people. Virtually is in there.”
- Long wouldn’t say whether the President can legally use the IRS to target individual taxpayers. Long told Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA): “I’d have to go to the lawyers at the IRS.”
- Long promised favors to certain shady businesses if he is confirmed. At the end of the hearing, Ranking Member Wyden asked if Long had promised help to a tax promoter at the inauguration if Long got confirmed. Long sidestepped the question. He told the committee: “I was in my room for about 50 hours because I had food poisoning during the inauguration. So I didn’t talk to many people.”
- Staff investigators on the Senate Finance Committee have a tax promoter on tape saying that Long met with him at the inauguration and promised a favorable private letter ruling.
