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America Throws the “Red Flag” … The IRS Is Under Further Review
Attention! Paging Attorney General Jeff Sessions! Please pick up the white phone in the lobby! America is on the line.
Earlier this month, the DOJ announced that they have declined to prosecute disgraced IRS official Lois Lerner. Lerner, a government employee became infamous for invoking a Fifth Amendment claim before Congress by refusing to testify. Congress could have obtained an order from a federal judge that would have compelled Lerner to testify before the Congressional Committee. Nothing happened other than some sort of negotiated agreement with Lerner’s attorney, which allowed her to testify in a private deposition, which her attorney was also able to get completely sealed and redacted.
Fast forward to this week. A class-action lawsuit has been filed by Eddie Greim, a lawyer representing conservative groups who were directly harmed by this weaponized IRS. And he has in hand documents which provide the evidence that “they had the intent and they indeed treated a set of groups differently based on their ideology.”
Included in this evidence, are the non-redacted (Lerner’s testimony is still sealed and redacted?!) depositions of IRS employees who were given explicit instructions by Lerner:
But the filings state that instead of stopping the practice, Lerner instructed staff that they were to continue the practice and provide even more scrutiny. That’s while she ordered the names of the “Tea Party Cases” be changed to “advocacy cases.”
Lerner’s testimony was redacted from the filings as it is under seal.
But others testified in depositions that Lerner ordered IRS agents to send requests for additional information from the affected groups following that 2011 meeting. That included requests for donor information, normally considered off-limits.
Lerner “wanted everyone to know that we are handling the cases as we should,” testified Cindy Thomas, the top nonprofit official in Cincinnati at the time.
This is an outrage. So why are there only two GOP Reps who are furious? The entire GOP House should be screaming for prosecution or a Special Counsel.
Or are their bigger fish to fry? The ones who gave Lerner her marching orders maybe?
Attorney General Sessions … do your job!
Published in General
The GOP has the executive and the legislature. Have the IRS continue the practice but go after traditional left wing groups. Watch the Dems discover this new issue.
I was furious when I heard they were letting her off the hook, based on the conclusions of the previous DOJ. Are they serious?? I agree, Columbo. We need to pursue this because Lois Lerner’s actions were criminal, and others in government need to know their really are consequences when you break the law for your own agenda. I’m glad to hear about this class action suit!
This is a good thing. As I understand the IRS code and policy on this, the private lawsuit was always the 800 pound gorilla in these cases. The civil penalties against Lerner and her minions could be enormous. I doubt it, but maybe that’s what the new administration at the DOJ was waiting for.
I think this should be said of a lot of the administration. Lerner stuff should not be sealed and redacted. The Republican Congress should have every document and answer it wants on the IRS, Fast and Furious, Benghazi and the VA. A Republican administration should be helping a Republican Congress fix obvious failures in government.
Absolutely. The previous Administration was up to its eyeballs in scandal and criminal behavior.
And yet … all we have is a Special Counsel … on Russia?!! WT_
They don’t have bigger fish to fry. They are implicated or threatened. There’s a reason Hillary wanted access to the IRS records when Bill was in charge. Black mail works.
Or else they are in on it, like McCain and the Keating gang.
It especially works when you have a Special Counsel teaming up with the IRS, a grand jury and unlimited funding dedicated to the purpose of destroying all things Trump. That intimidates the heck out of me as a citizen not even related to anything in this mess. How would you feel if you were doing something the Dems, the bureaucracy or the IRS did not like knowing these guys could shoot your down for the fun of it.
The problem is she is not disgraced. As far as the MSM is concerned she is a hero and a victim.
Author’s license.
Are you sure there is a scandal here? Because all my lefty friends keep asking me if I miss the Obama’s and their 8 years, scandal free.
Everyone should read David French’s piece in NR about the “John Doe” cases in Wisconsin to see what a weaponized government can do to innocent people.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/417155/wisonsins-shame-i-thought-it-was-home-invasion-david-french
The John Doe raids is why I do not believe the standard conservative mantra that the progressive police would side with the right when the Dems finally make their take over move. The police and the army will follow those in power of the bureaucracy which is the Democrats. The only question will be if they lock conservatives up or just put bullets in their head. I suspect they will do both.
Agreed. We can no longer trust them to be civil. They have been using violence and intimidation and trumped up legal charges for many years now.
Columbo,
Now Mr. Columbo let’s not jump to conclusions. Let’s see, first, her hard drive crashed. Then, the hard drive that had the backup crashed too. Then, because it was a network with multiple backups across the network, all of the hard drives crashed!
Can you imagine when all of the hard drives crashed and bits and bytes spued out all over the floor? Why the woman could have been injured. Have a little compassion, would you?
Regards,
Jim
This is an outrage, but one I expect. Not like the GOP is going to demand this.
There is no bigger fish to fry. This is an issue that goes to the heart of a government’s relationship with its citizens. Lerner’s and her subordinates’ actions were an egregious breach of trust. If we cannot trust the permanent bureaucracy to be non-partisan, than the health of the republic is at stake.
We hear constantly about Russia’s “meddling” in the election. This scandal is about IRS meddling, which by my lights is even worse.
I keep trying to tell all of you that the cops are government agents and the seeming ideological worship of the badge is fool hearty.
And that obnoxious John Koskinen is still at the agency. Why is that?
GOP fecklessness. Or fear of their own FBI files.
I remember posting that on my FB page. (I have only lefty friends.)
Crickets.