Treasury nominee Brian Morrissey pledges legal fidelity on taxpayer privacy, sanctions and tax-regulation work

Brian Morrissey, President Trump’s nominee to be general counsel at the Treasury Department, told the Senate Finance Committee he would prioritize ensuring Treasury’s actions comply with statute and the Constitution, with particular attention to taxpayer privacy laws and illicit-finance enforcement.

Morrissey, who served as deputy general counsel at Treasury in the previous administration, said during his opening statement that the legal division’s role is to ensure department actions are “lawful, durable, and clear” and pledged to work closely with Congress. In response to questions from senators, Morrissey repeatedly committed to enforcing legal limits, including referencing the statute that forbids the president or cabinet secretaries from directing IRS audits of particular taxpayers.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse asked whether Morrissey understood that 26 U.S.C. §7217 makes it unlawful for the president or cabinet secretaries to request audits of particular taxpayers; Morrissey replied that he was “clear and aware of that statute.” Later, Sen. Ron Wyden pressed Morrissey on privacy concerns raised in litigation and public commentary about whether the administration allowed access to tax-return data; Morrissey said he is “committed to making sure that it’s done in a way that complies with 26,103 and all the other statutory protections for taxpayer information.” (Transcript spelling of the statute varies; Morrissey repeatedly affirmed a commitment to follow applicable taxpayer-privacy statutes.)

Wyden also questioned Morrissey about personnel actions at the IRS and the risk to operations such as refund processing, citing court orders related to rehiring. Morrissey said the department should ensure operational changes comply with personnel laws and insisted he would advise components to follow statutory obligations.

On illicit finance and the Corporate Transparency Act, Morrissey told Sen. Whitehouse that Treasury must balance law-enforcement needs with avoiding undue burdens on law-abiding taxpayers and that information covered by the Corporate Transparency Act is important for combating crimes such as money laundering.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren pressed Morrissey on the department’s role implementing tax legislation, citing past Treasury regulations that produced significant private-sector gains after the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; Morrissey repeatedly said the policy judgments belong to Congress and that the legal division’s role is to implement statutes lawfully and to provide clear guidance in a timely way.

Why this matters: the Treasury general counsel provides legal advice that affects tax administration, sanctions, anti-money-laundering rules and regulatory implementation. Morrissey’s commitments on privacy, impartial enforcement and timely regulatory guidance were tested by senators concerned about recent administration practices and potential legal exposure.

The committee heard Morrissey’s testimony and questioned him; no committee confirmation vote occurred during the hearing.