Niki Wilkinson, a senior official at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), has been dismissed following revelations by the Daily Caller regarding her public criticisms of President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers on LinkedIn.
Sources with connections to the White House informed the Caller of Wilkinson's termination, which came after her controversial online remarks.
According to the Daily Caller, Wilkinson accused President Trump and GOP legislators of "fear mongering" and "falsely describing" the actions of former IRS official Holly Paz. Paz, who was implicated in the Obama-era Tea Party targeting scandal, faced allegations from Republican Congress members of using audits to target conservative business owners.
She was subsequently placed on leave by the Trump administration. Wilkinson defended Paz, stating, "Such a farce! Interesting how Senators outside the IRS are fear mongering and falsely describing the work. They have no idea what Examiners found in those audits, which in fact exposed fraud or noncompliance in the passthrough area as for years the IRS didnt effectively audit them."
Wilkinson's LinkedIn activity has been a platform for her to voice repeated criticisms of President Trump and his administration. Her posts have included accusations of corruption against the President and have echoed Democratic critiques.
Despite acknowledging her lack of authorization to represent the IRS officially, Wilkinson provided the Caller with comments justifying her online statements. She argued that President Trump's actions, such as influencing gerrymandering, issuing controversial pardons, and leveraging government positions for personal benefit, could be seen as corrupt.
Wilkinson claimed she could not recall any other President engaging in similar conduct.
In defense of the IRS's pass-through unit, Wilkinson highlighted that it audits Democrats as well, dismissing claims that Paz personally directs the audits. She emphasized that Paz is several layers removed from the examiners, and even shared an organizational chart with the Caller to demonstrate "the various layers" of command beneath Paz at the IRS.
As of the time of publication, Wilkinson had not responded to inquiries regarding her current employment status. The situation underscores the ongoing tensions between government officials and the administration, particularly concerning the scrutiny of conservative groups and the broader implications for IRS operations.
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