Kenneth Kies is leaving his role as acting chief counsel of the IRS after clashing with the administration over potential political interference.
Kenneth Kies is scheduled to leave his position as acting chief counsel of the IRS and assistant secretary for tax policy at the Treasury Department. The administration announced that Kies was "forced out" following reports that he warned the White House against violating Section 7217 of the Internal Revenue Code. This law prohibits the president, vice president, and executive staff from directly requesting that the IRS conduct or terminate specific audits. The conflict arose as the administration sought to influence the tax agency, a move critics argue risks turning audits into political tools. Kies reportedly clashed with officials over a $10 billion lawsuit and settlement that sought to grant immunity to the president and his allies. A federal judge recently struck down that settlement, labeling it a case of government self-dealing. While the administration has used the IRS to target adversaries, Kies advocated for maintaining the agency's independence to protect the public interest from executive overreach.