Treasury turnover spikes as nearly half of confirmed appointees leave under Bessent

Roughly 44% of Senate-confirmed Treasury officials have quit or been forced out during Scott Bessent's leadership, a departure rate that dwarfs recent administrations.

According to the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service, seven of the 16 Senate-confirmed Treasury appointees—about 44 percent—have left the department under Secretary Scott Bessent, a turnover rate that eclipses the record of the Bush, Obama, Biden and Trump’s first administrations. Former insiders attribute the departures to pressure to breach tax law, such as handing over confidential taxpayer information for an immigration crackdown and devising a $1.8 billion fund to protect allies by dropping IRS audits, a plan that fell apart after Senate Republicans objected.

Notable exits include donor-undersecretary John Hurley, assistant secretary and acting IRS chief counsel Ken Kies, IRS commissioner Billy Long, and Treasury general counsel Brian Morrissey. Experts like former acting assistant secretary Mark Mazur warn that complying with such directives could lead to career-ending sanctions. White House spokesman Kush Desai countered that President Donald Trump and Secretary Bessent have overseen “the most transformative Treasury Department in modern history.” Turnover at other agencies under the same administration remains low, highlighting the Treasury’s unique instability and raising concerns about its capacity to manage tax reforms and respond to financial crises.