Overview

• The Wall Street Journal reports that the administration aims to place loyalists inside the IRS Criminal Investigation unit and curb the role of IRS chief-counsel lawyers in criminal probes.
• A senior official has assembled a list of potential targets that includes billionaire donor George Soros and Soros-affiliated groups, according to the report.
• Treasury adviser Gary Shapley is identified as leading the effort, with sources saying he intends to replace IRS-CI chief Guy Ficco.
• IRS-CI, which has about 2,000 agents, typically works with chief-counsel attorneys and the Justice Department on warrants and potential prosecutions, procedures the proposals seek to revise.
• The reporting follows Trump's August post urging RICO charges against George Soros, as rapid turnover in IRS leadership has fueled concerns about politicized tax enforcement.