Tester Demands IRS Rescind $7 Million Equifax Contract

Senator: No assurance that constituents’ personal information is safe in their hands

(U.S. Senate) – U.S. Senator Jon Tester is demanding that the IRS rescind its recently issued $7 million Equifax contract after the company’s massive data breach jeopardized the personal financial data of more than 145 million Americans.

Following the breach that put names, Social Security numbers, addresses, driver’s licenses, and birthdates at risk, the IRS last week issued a multi-million dollar contract to Equifax to verify taxpayers’ identities.

“Given the recent cyber-attack at Equifax, it’s unfathomable how the IRS could knowingly issue a multi-million-dollar contract to a company that carelessly handled the personal information of more than 145 million Americans, putting their identities and personal financial well-being at risk,” Tester wrote. “Nearly one half of the entire population of our nation was impacted by the Equifax breach and we have no assurances that our constituents’ personal information is safe in their hands.”

Tester argued that as long as there are ongoing investigations into the breach, that impacted 367,000 Montanans, Equifax should not be receiving any taxpayer money.

“The IRS should immediately rescind this contract and look for ways to address its needs without putting taxpayers’ information at risk,” Tester demanded.

Tester’s bipartisan letter was cosigned by Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) also signed the letter, which can be read HERE.