The Trump administration replaced the top lawyer at the Internal Revenue Service, according to three people familiar with the change, in a shake-up that came as administration officials sought to use the agency’s taxpayer data to help with deporting immigrants.
William Paul, a civil servant who became the acting chief counsel at the I.R.S. in January, is expected to be replaced by Andrew De Mello, the people said. In his first term, President Trump nominated Mr. De Mello to serve as the inspector general of the Education Department.
The chief counsel job is one of the top positions at the I.R.S., and one of only two that requires Senate confirmation. The Trump administration has made a series of requests at the I.R.S., including to give members of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency access to taxpayer data. Tax experts warn that the moves could violate federal laws protecting tax records.
Leadership at the I.R.S. has experienced high turnover under the Trump administration. Two commissioners have stepped down in a matter of weeks, and more than 7,000 probationary employees were laid off last month.
The replacement of Mr. Paul was earlier reported by Bloomberg Tax.
