U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appointed his deputy, Michael Faulkender, as the next acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service after reports the current leader of the agency, Gary Shapley, had been installed at the urging of Elon Musk without Bessent’s knowledge.
"Trust must be brought back to the IRS,” Bessent said in a post to X on Friday, calling Faulkender "the right man for the moment.”
Bessent said Shapley — who gained fame in conservative circles after claiming the Justice Department had stalled an investigation into whether former President Joe Biden’s son had underpaid his taxes — would remain "among my most senior advisors.” Joseph Ziegler, another IRS employee removed from the Hunter Biden case, will also be ensured a long-term senior government role, the Treasury Secretary said.
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