A Trump administration appointee asked the IRS in March to review an audit of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, a close ally of President Trump, according to The Washington Post, which cited two people familiar with the matter and obtained related records.
David Eisner, a Treasury Department official, reportedly emailed at least one senior IRS official, saying Lindell “is concerned he may have been inappropriately targeted.” An IRS official instructed Eisner to forward the concern to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), according to a source.
The New York Times obtained the email, which described Lindell as “a high-profile friend of the President,” who “recently received an audit letter, from what I understand, his second in two years.”
“David Eisner is a dedicated public servant, and he acted appropriately with the expectation that this would be sent to the Inspector General,” a Treasury spokesperson told The Hill. “Sharing relevant information with nonpartisan Inspectors General is designed to be an effective and confidential way to help ensure all Americans are treated fairly.”
Lindell told The Times and The Post that the Treasury Department misunderstood his request, claiming he contacted officials to resolve a disagreement with the IRS over which year his company could claim a COVID-era employee retention credit.
A second dispute involves the timing of a deduction for a drug Lindell promoted during the pandemic. “They want me to take that deduction in 2022, [but] I didn’t have big gains then,” he told The Post. “I want to take the deductions when I had gains.”
Critics have raised concerns that the administration may be using the IRS to benefit political allies. On Wednesday, the Trump administration asked the IRS to revoke Harvard University‘s tax-exempt status amid a dispute over the university’s refusal to comply with federal directives tied to funding.
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