Journal reports IRS chief Frank Bisignano directed spying on JPMorgan colleagues

Bisignano denies spying allegation; people familiar say he lost Dimon’s trust

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Frank Bisignano, the chief executive of the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration, directed staff to spy on rival executives while serving as co-chief operating officer at JPMorgan Chase, according to people familiar with the matter.

Bisignano denied the spying allegations, the Journal said. The newspaper also reported that the surveillance operation cost him the trust of JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, citing people familiar with the matter. The report did not specify the targets of the spying or the methods used.

Bisignano, who now oversees the tax and benefits records of virtually every American, was co-COO at the bank before President Trump appointed him to lead the IRS and, subsequently, the Social Security Administration. The Journal’s report comes as Bisignano already faces questions about the IRS’s handling of confidential taxpayer data; MSI previously reported that he declined to answer lawmakers’ questions in March about the agency’s unlawful sharing of taxpayer information with immigration authorities.

The Journal, citing the people familiar with the matter, did not specify when the alleged spying occurred. A Journal spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for additional details.