WASHINGTON, D.C. | January 16, 2025 — Today, Scott Bessent, President-elect Trump’s nominee for Treasury secretary, voiced his support for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Whistleblower Program during his Senate confirmation hearing.
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) posed a question to Bessent about the program, stating, “My legislation that I authored in 2006, the IRS whistleblower law… it’s brought $6 billion back into the federal treasury. This program could raise billions more if the IRS would use it to its full potential.”
“So I hope I can count on you, if you’re confirmed, to be supportive of this whistleblower program and work to ensure its full use to its full potential,” Senator Grassley continued in his statement to Bessent.
“Senator Grassley, we are in complete alignment on this program,” Bessent said in response.
“It is very heartening to hear that the new Treasury Secretary is in complete alignment with Senator Grassley as to the importance of the IRS tax whistleblower award program,” says Dean Zerbe, Senior Policy Analyst at National Whistleblower Center (NWC). “As the new administration looks to make government efficient, the whistleblower program is a key tool to making that happen.”
“As the IRS faces limited resources, making full use of the whistleblower program is vital in ensuring that IRS resources are targeted on those seeking to evade – while at the same time leaving the vast majority of honest taxpayers in peace,” Zerbe continues. “The tax whistleblower program is a win for honest taxpayers and for the Treasury. There is much that the new administration can do to expand and improve the tax whistleblower program – and the comments today by nominee Scott Bessent are a good start.”
“As always, NWC thanks Senator Grassley for his tremendous work as THE advocate for whistleblowers in Congress,” adds NWC Chairman Stephen M. Kohn. “Senator Grassley’s voice is so important in ensuring that the success of whistleblower programs continue with the new administration.
Mr. Zerbe and Mr. Kohn are available for comment. For more information, contact NWC at info@whistleblowers.org.
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NWC is the leading nonprofit working with whistleblowers worldwide to fight corruption and protect people and the environment. For over 30 years, NWC has won policies to protect whistleblowers from retaliation and reward them for helping deliver criminal and civil penalties against wrongdoers.
