Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, reportedly posted a document on Monday that appeared to show that the Biden administration had unleashed the IRS on him and his family.
He used this document to accuse the administration of Vice President Joe Biden of conducting a “rushed” tax audit on his family.
On social media, Hegseth shared a screenshot of what he claimed was a letter from the Internal Revenue Service that was issued to him and his wife.
“Of course the outgoing Biden IRS rushed an ‘audit’ of the incoming SecDef. Total sham. The party of ‘norms’ and ‘decency’ strikes again. We will never back down.” Hegseth wrote.
Of course the outgoing Biden IRS rushed an “audit” of the incoming SecDef. Total sham.
The party of “norms” and “decency” strikes again. We will never back down. pic.twitter.com/coW1UpFPrD
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) February 17, 2025
According to the paperwork, the family’s federal income tax return revealed that they owed the government $33,558.16.
This debt is required to be paid immediately in order to prevent incurring any additional penalties.
The Internal Revenue Service has not made any public statements regarding the audit, and Hegseth has not refuted the audit’s correctness.
There is a lack of clarity on whether the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) began the audit as a result of concerns over the couple’s tax filings or whether it was a routine review.
During the confirmation process, possible Cabinet members’ tax records and financial dealings are frequently reviewed, and this scrutiny has been known to derail nominations in the past.
The former representative from South Carolina, Mick Mulvaney, who was President Trump’s candidate for the position of budget director in the White House in 2017, was accused of failing to pay more than fifteen thousand dollars in payroll taxes for a household employee.
In the end, he was successful in progressing through the confirmation process.
And in 2009, former President Obama’s choice to lead the Health and Human Services Department, former Senator Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota), was forced to withdraw his nomination after it was discovered that he had paid approximately $140,000 in back taxes related to some consulting income as well as a car and driver that had been provided to him by a former employer.
During the hearing for his nomination, Senator Richard Blumenthal (Democrat of Connecticut) questioned Hegseth about his tax returns while he was employed by two nonprofit organizations that provide assistance to veterans.
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