Roll Call: Finance Democrats seek assurances from Bessent on taxes ahead of vote

A trio of top Senate Democrats is pressing Scott Bessent, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Treasury secretary, to submit to an IRS audit and release his tax filings ahead of the Finance Committee’s vote on his confirmation Tuesday.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, along with Finance ranking member Ron Wyden of Oregon and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, sent a letter Monday with the requests. They cited reports on a confidential memo prepared by Finance Democratic staff raising issues with the hedge fund manager’s tax filings for the previous three years. 

The memo accused the billionaire nominee of avoiding more than $900,000 in self-employment taxes, as well as claiming other deductions that Democratic staff deemed questionable. Senate Finance Chairman Michael D. Crapo, R-Idaho, along with a spokesperson for Trump’s transition team defended Bessent, saying he followed the law and handled his taxes in keeping with advice from major law and accounting firms. 

Crapo’s communications director, Amanda Critchfield, reiterated his stance Monday after seeing Democrats’ letter. 

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