Civil Action Podcast

Civil Action: Shortest-Serving IRS Chief Fired for Refusing to Break Law

Attorneys Brian Kabateck and Shant Karnikian expose the bizarre story of Billy Long—the shortest-serving IRS Commissioner in U.S. history who lasted just two months before being fired by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. They reveal how this former auctioneer with zero tax experience promoted fraudulent tax credits and handed out fake $45 bills with Trump’s face before becoming the nation’s top tax official. The hosts break down how even this Trump loyalist drew the line at sharing taxpayer information with immigration authorities to hunt undocumented immigrants, citing privacy laws that apparently made him too ethical for the administration. They explain how Bessent’s micromanaging and “death grip” on Treasury operations signals a dangerous power struggle that could implode, with seven different people running the IRS since Trump took office while 25% of the workforce was eliminated. A stunning look at how incompetence meets authoritarianism in Trump’s revolving-door government.