Overview
- David Eisner, a senior Treasury appointee, asked the IRS in March to review MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s second audit in two years, referring to him as a 'high profile friend of the president.'
- The IRS referred Eisner’s intervention request to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) for independent review, leaving Lindell’s audit procedures unchanged.
- Lindell claims his outreach was misinterpreted, stating he sought assistance to resolve disputes over the timing of employee retention credits and other pandemic-era deductions.
- Former national taxpayer advocate Nina Olson criticized Eisner’s actions as highly inappropriate, noting the unprecedented nature of such a direct intervention by a political appointee.
- The incident highlights broader concerns about the Trump administration’s use of the IRS for political objectives, including recent moves targeting Harvard’s tax-exempt status.