IRS Probe Continues

House Republicans on Oct. 27th released a new video that highlights key events in the IRS scandal. That scandal, of course, involves the infamous tax agency targeting “conservative” groups who apply for tax-exempt status. Regardless of the looming midterm election, whose outcome could drastically alter Congressional membership, there is still an ongoing effort to solve this scandal. The House effort is being led jointly by the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the Ways and Means Committee to: • Investigate IRS wrongdoing • Overcome administration stonewalling • And ensure that the IRS never again repeats this abuse The video begins with President Obama’s 2010 State of the Union Address criticizing the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. But according to a Ways and Means Committee press release, just one month after the president’s address, “The IRS stopped approving [501 (c) (4)] applications for Tea Party groups but continued to approve the applications of left-leaning applicants.” The main figure in the targeting scandal was IRS official Lois Lerner. The Ways and Means news release added: “Though the IRS repeatedly offered assurances that political beliefs played no role in increased scrutiny, persistent questioning by Congress and an Inspector General’s audit led to a stunning admission by Lerner in May 2013: the IRS did target conservatives.” Before long, Lerner tried to blame the scandal on a couple of rogue IRS agents in the tax agency’s Cincinnati field office. But virtually no one accepted that flimsy explanation. That false narrative crumbled under the House probe. As things dragged on, House leaders keep pushing for: • Disclosure and accountability • Criminal charges against Lerner • Appointment of a special counsel to replace a “tainted” Justice Department investigation • And full disclosure That full disclosure sought all of Lois Lerner’s internal e-mails to help fill “the gaping hole” left by her refusal to testify. Yet, the IRS turned around and claimed to have “lost” years of Lerner’s official e-mails. Ways and Means Committee members insist the e-mails were hidden from Congress and the American people for months. The committee’s news release goes on to say: “Adding insult to injury, the Obama Administration continues to pursue new rules to accomplish what targeting ultimately failed to do: silence groups like the Tea Party who want to participate in our democracy.” Robust criticism has stalled the Administration’s new unilateral move to silence political views. However, the committee says that, without real change and continued citizen engagement, the apparent threat to Constitutional rights by the IRS is far from over. Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp, a Michigan Republican, stated: “Congress’ investigation has uncovered serious, unprecedented actions taken by the IRS, which actively worked to deprive conservative groups of their rights under the Constitution.” Camp, who is soon retiring from Congress, added, “We will continue to work to fully expose what really happened at the IRS so we can ensure that no American is targeted for their beliefs by their own government.” Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa added: “We have stopped an IRS targeting effort that treated conservatives differently and we have put the brakes on a new Administration effort to target political participation through regulation.” However, Issa added, “We have not fixed the IRS or finished our investigation of targeting that started under Lois Lerner.” And Issa further stated that the House will keep pursuing a “credible criminal probe” in order to “protect the rights of all Americans . . .” Yet, time will tell whether this probe will conclude by truly fixing the problem, or whether it devolves into a "show trial" with dismal results. Support Indymedia! Donate USD: http://nnn.is/donate-dollars Donate BTC: http://nnn.is/donate-bitcoin Download your free Next News "Heroes & Villains" Poster here: http://bit.ly/KgbQD5 LIVE: http://bit.ly/1eChpVo Facebook: http://on.fb.me/18RdIek Twitter: http://bit.ly/1eChqZD Sub: http://NNN.is/the_new_media Meet the Next News Team: http://bit.ly/18RdIen Hashtag: #N3 #DC


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