Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has publicly accused the Biden administration’s IRS of hitting his family with a politically motivated tax audit just as he assumed his new role. The audit notice, which Hegseth shared online, claims he and his wife owe more than $33,000 in unpaid taxes.
Of course the outgoing Biden IRS rushed an “audit” of the incoming SecDef. Total sham.
The party of “norms” and “decency” strikes again. We will never back down. pic.twitter.com/coW1UpFPrD
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) February 17, 2025
Hegseth took to social media to call the audit a “total sham,” questioning why the outgoing Biden administration rushed the process. “The party of ‘norms’ and ‘decency’ strikes again. We will never back down,” he wrote.
JUST IN:
The Biden regime's IRS rushed to audit Pete and Jennifer Hegseth.
We need the DOJ to investigate who called the shots on this! https://t.co/vbU9MW9Jr5
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) February 17, 2025
The IRS has not commented on the matter, and it remains unclear whether the audit was routine or initiated for other reasons. Tax issues have derailed past cabinet nominees, such as former Sen. Tom Daschle, who withdrew from consideration for Health and Human Services secretary after revelations that he had failed to pay over $140,000 in taxes.
During Hegseth’s confirmation hearings, Senate Democrats scrutinized his financial dealings with veterans’ nonprofits, though he was ultimately confirmed in a 51-50 vote. His nomination was met with strong opposition, with critics questioning his qualifications and pointing to allegations from his past.
The IRS has faced repeated accusations of political bias, most notably when it was caught targeting conservative organizations under the Obama administration. In 2023, journalist Matt Taibbi received a surprise IRS visit on the same day he testified before Congress about government censorship.
Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), responded to Hegseth’s audit notice by saying, “They love the low blows,” raising speculation about whether DOGE will investigate the matter.
