Bessent clashes with Democrat over Trump tax audits in House hearing
Scott Bessent and IRS audits: see the Trump tax clash in Congress Read the heated exchange over alleged favoritism, audits, and executive power
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Rep. Linda Sánchez, DCalif., had a heated exchange on Thursday during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing over questions about IRS audits involving President Donald Trump and his family.
Sánchez argued that a recent Justice Department settlement appeared to block the IRS from continuing audits tied to Trump and his business interests. She accused the Treasury Department of showing favoritism and called it the most corrupt in U.S. history.
Bessent rejected those claims and pushed back sharply, saying Sánchez was making unsupported accusations. He said the IRS and Treasury were working through the Justice Department and declined to confirm whether Trump was currently under audit. The dispute reflected broader concerns about executive power, tax enforcement, and the handling of politically sensitive investigations.