Scott Bessent makes unexpected visit to IRS with Biden admin whistleblowers

Treasury Secretary and acting Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Scott Bessent made an unexpected and impromptu visit to the agency's headquarters Thursday alongside IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joe Ziegler.

The visit comes just six days after President Donald Trump removed former IRS Commissioner Billy Long amid a shake-up at the government agency and just two months after he was confirmed to the position.

Bessent reportedly spent 45 minutes at the headquarters to reassure workers that he would be hands-on as the commissioner and would be taking over as the interim commissioner until the next leader is confirmed, per the New York Post.

A source familiar with the visit confirmed Bessent's unexpected trip to the headquarters to Just The News.

"The visit today was to establish new command and control at the IRS now that Billy Long has left," the source said, "and to signal that the Treasury secretary intends to have Gary and Joe play a major role in running the department until a new chief has been chosen."

Shapley and Ziegler are known for making protected whistleblower disclosures to Congress about political interference, potential conflicts of interest and preferential treatment in the tax investigation related to former first son Hunter Biden. 

The pair have maintained that they are still facing retaliation from the Justice Department related to the Hunter Biden case despite a new presidential administration. 

It is not clear what their formal roles will be under Bessent's IRS, but they are currently advisers to the secretary focused on integrity and reform.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.