As Senate Considers Trump’s Pick for IRS Commissioner, American Oversight Urges Scrutiny of Attacks on Harvard, Foundations, and Nonprofits

On Tuesday morning, the Senate Finance Committee is considering the nomination of former Rep. Billy Long to serve as Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. 

The hearing comes one day after nonpartisan watchdog American Oversight filed suit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and other agencies for unlawfully withholding records pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) related to the Trump administration’s unprecedented political attacks against Harvard University and its improper attempt to direct the IRS to revoke the university’s tax-exempt status.

The administration’s sweeping attacks on Harvard represent an escalation in its broader campaign to use the levers of government to punish disfavored institutions — including universities, foundations, and civil society groups that serve children, seniors, veterans, and other vulnerable communities — premised on its unfounded belief that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs are discriminatory.

Ahead of the hearing, American Oversight released the following statement from Executive Director Chioma Chukwu:

“This confirmation hearing takes place against the backdrop of extraordinary abuses of power. The Trump administration’s effort to direct the IRS to punish Harvard is part of a broader campaign to weaponize the federal government against universities, foundations, and nonprofits that it perceives to be at odds with the president’s political agenda.

“The American people deserve an IRS that upholds the rule of law. The next IRS commissioner must not only reject the administration’s political interference and abuses of power — they must defend the agency’s independence, commit to transparency, and help repair the damage done to its credibility.”