At Nomination Hearing, Senator Warren Secures Unprecedented Ethics Commitments from IRS Chief Counsel Nominee

Hearing

"Thank you Mr. Chairman. The IRS makes a lot of decisions that profoundly affect who actually pays to support our government. That's why I'm very concerned about the revolving door, where large accounting firms send their lawyers into high-ranking positions at the IRS to create new tax loopholes for their clients, and then those firms reward those same lawyers with promotions and bigger paychecks when they leave government service and come back to the accounting firm.

Now Ms. Rollinson, you've been through the revolving door more than once. You've gone from Ernst and Young to the IRS, and then from the IRS back to Ernst and Young, and, once again, from Ernst and Young back to the IRS, this time as Chief Counsel. I think that's a red flag, but you've made an unprecedented commitment as a nominee.

Ms. Rollinson, you've sent me a letter committing, among other things, to recuse yourself from any matters related to former clients for your first four years at the agency, and, for four years after you leave the IRS, not to go to work for any company -- including Ernst and Young -- that has clients you interact with while you are at the IRS. This goes even further than President Biden's strong ethics requirements. Do I have that right? Is that correct?

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Thank you. I'd like to enter into the hearing record Ms. Rollinson's letter making those commitments. Ms. Rollinson, I appreciate your taking these steps to assure the public that you will put their interests first, and I support your nomination."

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