One of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees who blew the whistle on the Hunter Biden scandal has been removed from his position as acting IRS commissioner. 

The New York Post reports that this comes just days after Gary Shapley was given that position.

The big question, of course, is what changed in those few days.

The answer is not entirely clear, but one person who likely does know what is going on is Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, as he is the one who replaced Shapley.

That was a short stint

Just The News provides some insight about what might be going on here.

Per the outlet:

The decision to replace Shapley came after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Trump that Shapley was put in the agency without his knowledge at the direction of Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk.

This replacement comes just three days after Shapley was put in the position, and Just the News notes that "Shapley is the fifth leader to leave the agency this year." This would suggest that the Trump administration is having a difficult time finding someone to lead the agency.

Bessent, however, now believes that Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender is the right man for the job. This is the man whom Bessent has chosen to replace Shapley.

We will have to see if Faulkender manages to hang in there longer than Shapley. It is indeed a low bar.

"Remains among my most important advisors"

Bessent has released a public statement explaining his decision to replace Shapley.

"Trust must be brought back to the IRS, and I am fully confident that @TreasuryDepSec Michael Faulkender is the right man for the moment," he, in part, wrote.

Bessent goes on to explain that, although he has removed Shapley from the acting commissioner post, he has not gotten rid of Shapley altogether.

Instead, Bessent wrote, "Gary Shapley's passion and thoughtfulness for approaching ways by which to create durable and lasting reforms at the IRS is essential to our work, and he remains among my most important senior advisors at the @USTreasury as we work together to rethink and reform the IRS."

Trust must be brought back to the IRS, and I am fully confident that @TreasuryDepSec Michael Faulkender is the right man for the moment.

Gary Shapley's passion and thoughtfulness for approaching ways by which to create durable and lasting reforms at the IRS is essential to our…

— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) April 18, 2025