The Internal Revenue Service wields one of the most intimidating powers the federal government possesses: the ability to audit any American at any time. This is a power that can upend lives, cripple businesses, and tarnish reputations, not through conviction in a courtroom but through the mere process of scrutiny. Such immense authority demands impartiality and restraint.
Yet, too often, that power has been twisted into a political weapon. Conservative groups have historically borne the brunt of these attacks, but the danger is far bigger than partisan politics. Instead of serving taxpayers with fairness, a small but entrenched group of political actors within the IRS has used its position to target individuals and organizations based on ideology.
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Any time government employees can decide who gets punished based on their beliefs, every American is at risk. Look no further than Operation Choke Point, where banking regulators abused their power over financial institutions to force account closures and “debank” businesses in politically disfavored sectors such as the firearms industry. A later phase of this campaign, Operation Choke Point 2.0, unfairly targeted the crypto and digital asset sector. Individuals such as President Donald Trump and his family were also targeted by such actions.
Using a similar playbook of intimidation tactics leveraged during Operation Chokepoint and Operation Chokepoint 2.0, the IRS has targeted specific types of businesses and taxpayers. For years, the agency has sidestepped Congress to scrutinize business transactions long accepted under statute to go after certain kinds of business structures. Through data leaks, the agency has compromised the sensitive information of hundreds of thousands of individual taxpayers — again, including politically outspoken individuals such as Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. This is a clear pattern of abuse meant to discourage politically disfavored activities. Operation Choke Point 3.0 is here.
The implementation of Operation Choke Point, from the banking regulators to the IRS, is a symptom of broader regulatory overreach that spans previous administrations and has allowed politically motivated individuals to turn agencies on the very Americans they are supposed to serve.
The IRS was never intended to become a political weapon. The agency’s guiding principle, in theory, is integrity, ensuring an impartial tax system. Most IRS employees embody these very principles — neutrality, fairness, and lawfulness. Yet, the agency is only as great as its many parts, and unfortunately, there remains a minority of political actors within the IRS who have abused their positions to target everyday Americans.
To that end, the Alliance for IRS Accountability has put forth an agency-wide letter to IRS employees seeking their cooperation in reporting wrongdoing and rooting out politicization by identifying and holding accountable agenda-driven agency employees who view their role at the IRS as their personal fiefdom to bring the hammer down on hardworking taxpayers. The absence of checks and balances allows rogue actors to exploit the system, which, unfortunately, makes it increasingly difficult for dedicated IRS employees to operate with the trust and support they need to do their jobs effectively.
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For years, the IRS has been concerningly vulnerable to abuse through political bias. Setting aside the thousands of agency employees who honorably approach their profession, the subset of entrenched elites exploiting their power must be held accountable. We strongly encourage those who see political interference in the IRS to come forward and join those who have already shed light on the issue.
Together, we can stop Operation Choke Point 3.0 and restore the IRS to its rightful place as a cornerstone of fairness and impartiality, ensuring that it serves the people instead of harassing them.
Chuck Flint is the president and CEO of the Alliance for IRS Accountability.