By Steve Neavling
Former FBI Director James Comey and his then-deputy Andrew McCabe were selected by the IRS for an intensive, rare and purportedly random audit, The New York Times reports.
Comey and McCabe both received letters from the IRS indicating it was conducting National Research Program audits of their tax returns.
“We must examine randomly-selected tax returns to better understand tax compliance and improve the fairness of the tax system,” the letters state.
The audits drew suspicion because they are extremely rare, and Comey and McCabe had both drawn the ire of former President Donald Trump.
In fact, the odds of being selected for the audit is about one in every 30,600.
“Maybe it’s a coincidence or maybe somebody misused the IRS to get at a political enemy,” Comey told The Times. “Given the role Trump wants to continue to play in our country, we should know the answer to that question.”
As a result of the audit, Comey received a $347 refund, and McCabe owed a small amount of money.
“The revenue agent I dealt with was professional and responsive,” McCabe said. “Nevertheless, I have significant questions about how or why I was selected for this.”
