President Donald Trump might have just made his most brazen appointment yet in nominating Billy Long as the IRS Commissioner. Why this selection is shocking to many is that the former congressman was a pitchman for several pandemic-era tax schemes, including credits the IRS itself affirms don’t exist.
Long wasn’t just cheering on dubious tax benefits for corporations; he sold them. Now, Trump is bringing him in to police the same Ponzi schemes he was selling. Isn’t that like giving the fox a free pass into the henhouse?
A Shady Salesman for Shady Tax Breaks
Long before Billy Long was nominated by Trump as the IRS commissioner, he was busy making money by referring investors to tribal tax credits, a tax shelter of sorts. However, the IRS says it does not exist, and Democrats have labeled it as fraudulent. As if that wasn’t enough, he also pitched the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERC), which was a sort of tax scam magnet during the pandemic.
A recorded Zoom call revealed that the CEO of a financial firm detailed how Long personally sold ERC products to him. Trump’s hand-chosen would-be IRS commissioner went as far as promising a private letter ruling to help the CEO’s company avoid audits. The CEO said Long’s appointment was a blessing, as companies would not have to worry about promoter audits.
Yet, the president wants this same man who was selling tax benefits for corporations as the new IRS commissioner.
The IRS, Now Brought to You by the Tax Avoidance Industry
Trump’s IRS commissioner pick isn’t just questionable; it’s downright dangerous for the nation. Despite his failure to secure a seat in the Senate in 2022, Long’s campaign received over $165,000 from donors. And guess what? Most of these were linked to tax and audit firms.
To make matters worse, these firms were being investigated for fraud. During his confirmation hearing, Senate Democrats called it a payoff and not a mere coincidence. Even with all these pieces of evidence, Billy Long defended himself, saying that the jury’s still out on whether the tribal credits were real.
If Billy Long is confirmed, he’ll be serving as the IRS Commissioner through 2027. He’ll be in charge of basically selling tax benefits for corporations. If that’s not a direct conflict of interest, then nothing else is.
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