Watchdog Urges Release Of IRS’ Communications With FTX
- February 7, 2023
Anna Scott Farrell, Law360
A watchdog group asked a D.C. federal court Tuesday to force the IRS to release emails and other communication between former Commissioner Chuck Rettig and former FTX executives, saying the agency broke public records law by refusing to comply with its request.
Protect the Public’s Trust said the agency rebuffed as “overly broad” its request for Rettig’s text messages, phone records, calendar invites and other records in violation of the Freedom of Information Act, according to the complaint.
The agency’s denial “is arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion and not in accordance with the law,” the group said.
Protect the Public’s Trust director, Michael Chamberlain, who was a Department of Education communications official during former President Donald Trump’s administration, told Law360 that any “personal matter” discussed between the commissioner and former FTX executives should be shared with the public.
“If he’s having personal conversations with executives using his taxpayer-funded resources, that’s certainly something the public needs to know about,” Chamberlain said.