IRS Scandal Update – 18 May 2013
Today’s update for the last 24 hours or so:
- The IRS asked one Pro-Life group for the following information in connection with their application for tax-exempt status: “Please detail the content of the members of your organization’s prayers.“
- Senior Treasury officials – including the Deputy Treasury Secretary and the Treasury Department General Counsel – were informed in June 2012 of the fact that the IRS IG was investigating elements of the agency for ideologically-motivated harassment.
- It appears the IRS avoided disclosing the scandal involving additional scrutiny and/or harassment of conservative organizations and individuals, deliberately waiting until after the 2012 elections to disclose the scandal.
- The outgoing head of the IRS, Steve Miller, in testimony before the House Ways and Means Committed on Friday, 17 May 2013, couldn’t remember who at was responsible for targeting conservative groups by his agency. Even though he did remember asking his senior technical advisor, Nancy Marks, that question, he just couldn’t remember her answer.
- The initial disclosure of the IRS scandal by Acting IRS Tax Exempt Division chief Lois Lerner was not spontaneous, but was pre planned and timed to coincide with the release of the IRS IG Report on the same matter.
- The husband of the current head of the IRS’s Tax Exempt Division, Lois Lehrner, works for a law firm with close ties to the current Administration.
- Ms. Lerner also personally approved the tax-exempt certification for that highly-questionable charity run by the POTUS’s half-brother.
- Senators Chuck Schumer, Michael Bennet, Sheldon Whitehouse, Jeff Merkley, Tom Udall, Jeanne Shaheen and Al Franken urged the IRS to target conservative organizations in 2012.
- Larry Conners, the news anchor who complained that he might have been the target of IRS retaliation after asking the POTUS pointed questions about First Family vacations, has been “temporarily” taken off the air by his employer.
- That ”paragon of taxpaying virtue” Rep. Charles Rangel seems even bothered, saying, “This is wrong to abuse the tax system.”
But don’t worry about any of that, folks. Just sit back and listen to the former head of the IRS, Steve Miller, speaking about the recent targeting of conservative group and individuals by his agency: “It is absolutely not illegal.”
Sweet Jesus – what’s next? Is someone in this Administration about to stand up and publicly say, “If the President does it, it’s not illegal”?
Category: "Your Tax Dollars At Work", Crime, Politics
Thugs acting like thugs. No surprises, really.
It was pretty funny watching Rangel coming somewhat unglued as he joined in the chorus of outrage.
Hondo, making me laugh this early in the morning is a good start to the day.
Since it’s Armed Forces day, I’m going to go put the flag in its bracket, give it the old hand salute, and clean up the kitchen, and every time I put something in the trashbin, I’ll think of Bodaprez and friends.
May they all have a terrible time ‘splainin’ themselves to us.
Nothing will happen to THE WON. As the historic First Black President, he’ll just shuck and jive himself on to high-paying speaking gigs and do-nothing board memberships.
The corruption of our institutions is past the tipping point. What bothers me most is that there’s no where else to go.
America. It was nice while it lasted.
If it walks like a duck…
But, to quote Miller and Holder – and why not, POTUS as well: “I don’t know…I don’t remember.”
On this Armed Forces Day in America: THANK YOU to all of our Armed Forces.
Senator Shaheen’s in on it too? Oh goody! I hope her reelection opponent hammers her on this and a whole lot of other shit she’s been pulling.
NHSparky: no direct connection. But those Senators did seem to want the IRS to get involved in giving “nonprofit political groups” more scrutiny before granting nonprofit status. If I remember correctly, they all signed a letter requesting same.
Somehow, I don’t think they were talking about scrutinizing existing groups such as “Media Matters” or “People for the American Way” though. I’m guessing they had other targets in mind. And I’m guessing those targets weren’t groups with applications pending which they agreed philosophically, either. Those were apparently getting “fact track” approval by 2012.
MAJMike, lighten up. Haven’t you ever seen that bobbing bird that has to stick its plastic head in water to bounce back up? It alwaycs bounces back.
What makes you think this country can’t do that? Not meaning to give you a hard time, but has it occurred to you that there is a limit to the sheer stupidity people will take before they say “enough!” loud and clear? This stuff is not going to go away. Do you think the media, the press, will NOT go after someone who condoned seizing their phone records and invading their privacy in secret? Yes, this IS as bad as Watergate, because there was no reason for ANY of this to happen.
You can be a glad-handing sack of shit politician for just so long. Then it all rolls back downhill on you. That’s what is happening now, and it is not going away. I’m sure there are more nasty things to come. My guess is that Bodaprez will spend from now until 2015 trying to straighten out the mess that is his (lack of) administration.
However, if you really want to leave, you still have time to sign up to go live on Mars. 78,000 people have done so already.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/0509/78-000-to-live-on-Mars-Have-you-signed-up
MajMike, take heart.
The beauty of our system is that we can “alter or abolish” the government in so many different ways, on so many different schedules. We have the Federal government, we have the States, we have two Houses of Congress for all of them. We have judiciary, again Federal and State.
The US is going to change, and I hope you will help.
“It is absolutely not illegal.” Of course not, it’s not unconstitutional, either. It’s not immoral. Not if the “right people” do it. After all, these are the ones we’ve been waiting for. They’ve told us so, so it must be true.
Methinks the bucket has only began to dump back upon these rodents. I can’t wait to see what’s next, they’ll be crapping their drawers and skirts like monkress if they haven’t started to already, I just hope this sticks!!
And yet, all the Gubbment employees in the various three-letter agencies will be wailing “What did WE do to you?”, when we the people finally get fed up enough from the years and decades of abuse and finally take up arms. (See also “The Declaration on Independence”).
MajM
C’mon soldier! Buck up. As long as there are the likes of “Us” we will not kowtow forever. DefendUSA goes To Washington…who’s in?
An Armed Forces Day Hoo-Ah!!
Businessman and Romney donor Frank VanderSloot appeared on Friday’s O’Reilly Factor to tell his story about getting audited by both the IRS and the Labor Dept. He passed with flying colors and actually will be receiving a substantial refund. However, Frank is still out 80K for legal fees. He could eventually be subpoenaed to testify before Congress.
I couldn’t believe some of the questions people were asked, book lists, prayers, whether they plan to run for office. People need to realize that holding a govt title does not authorize anyone to abuse power. All of our civil rights need to be taught (objectively) ins schoool the media etc. and people should learn to proudly exercise them and challenge all authority.
Why is there absolutely no surprise in this article about IRS official Lois Lerner taking the 5th? Why?
http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/21/18403138-irs-official-to-invoke-fifth-amendment-at-hearing?lite>1=43001
Do unto others as thou wouldst have them do unto thee, Lois, you obnoxious cow, et al.