WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) issued the following statement after an employee of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sent a letter, through legal counsel, to the Chairman requesting the committee look into concerns the employee has regarding allegations of misconduct in the handling of a high-profile case.

“We appreciate this outreach and look forward to sitting down promptly with this individual to better understand the scope and detail of the concerns raised. The Committee takes seriously any allegations of misconduct by government officials or offices and will, on behalf of American taxpayers, look into concerns that are brought to our attention. It is our responsibility to ensure the tax code is applied fairly and appropriately to all Americans – whether through the oversight efforts this Committee initiates or the need for oversight that is brought to our attention.

“From the first days of this new Congress, I made clear that we will value the importance and the role of whistleblowers in ensuring the integrity of our governing institutions – which is why we established an online portal providing IRS employees a direct avenue to provide information regarding any wrongdoing they may have witnessed or believe to be occurring. We also take seriously the importance of protecting whistleblowers in accordance with the law. As with all matters before the Committee, we will go where the facts lead and conduct a review of this matter in an appropriate and timely manner.”