Trump Administration Overhauls IRS to Target Left-Wing Dark Money Networks Fueling Political Violence: Report
The Internal Revenue Service is reportedly undergoing a sweeping reorganization under the direction of President Donald J. Trump — one designed to expose and dismantle left-wing financial networks believed to be bankrolling political violence across America’s cities.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, changes inside the IRS’s criminal investigative division could lay the groundwork for “criminal inquiries of left-leaning groups” that have long operated under the protection of a politically biased tax system.
Cracking Down on the Left’s Funding Web
Unnamed sources told the Journal that senior officials are preparing to scrutinize financial pipelines tied to far-left organizations and figures — including billionaire activist George Soros — whose networks the Trump administration believes are fueling unrest and organized chaos in Democrat-run cities.
A top IRS official has already drafted a list of potential targets, the report noted.
Leading the initiative is Gary Shapley, an adviser to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is also serving as acting IRS Commissioner. Shapley gained national attention as a whistleblower, testifying before Congress about alleged political interference in the Hunter Biden investigation under the previous administration.
According to the report, Shapley aims to replace Guy Ficco, who currently heads the IRS’s investigations division. This change comes as part of President Trump’s directive to “follow the money” behind extremist networks such as Antifa and similar groups accused of orchestrating political violence.
“Scott will do that. That’s easy for Scott,”
— President Donald Trump, during a recent Cabinet meeting, when asked about Bessent’s efforts.
“Mission-Critical” to Identify and Disrupt Violent Networks
In a Tuesday interview on The Charlie Kirk Show with Andrew Kolvet, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent compared his department’s current work to tracing the financing of the 9/11 terror attacks, emphasizing the seriousness of the mission.
“We have started to compile lists of the other networks, and there’s a long record here,” Bessent said.
“This is mission-critical for us now. … We are operationalizing this here at Treasury. We are going to track down who is responsible for this,” he added, referencing the rise in left-wing political violence — including the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10.
When asked by the Journal about the reported IRS changes, Shapley responded,
“I’m grateful to continue in my role in reforming the IRS.”
A Treasury spokesperson described the administration’s reforms as a move to modernize the agency, saying it is bringing “the best of America’s private sector practices and organization” to the IRS.
“The team’s focus remains collections, privacy, and customer service,” the spokesperson added.
A Shift From Past Efforts
This initiative reportedly follows earlier Trump administration attempts to revoke tax-exempt status from politically charged nonprofit groups. Those efforts were met with bureaucratic resistance — prompting this new approach, which insiders say is more investigative and enforcement-oriented.
President Trump himself has been vocal about what he calls the Soros-backed network of radical financiers supporting nationwide unrest.
In August, the President posted on Truth Social:
“George Soros, and his wonderful Radical Left son, should be charged with RICO because of their support of Violent Protests, and much more, all throughout the United States of America.
We’re not going to allow these lunatics to rip apart America any more, never giving it so much as a chance to ‘BREATHE,’ and be FREE. Soros, and his group of psychopaths, have caused great damage to our Country! That includes his Crazy, West Coast friends. Be careful, we’re watching you!”
As the IRS gears up for this unprecedented internal restructuring, the Trump administration’s message is clear: no entity — no matter how wealthy or politically connected — will be immune from scrutiny if it’s found to be funding violence or subverting American stability.