IRS claims it has LOST two years' worth of emails from former official Lerner

[Wilikon]

Useful Idiots: Democrats provide IRS best defense money can buy

http://youtu.be/7ReVPqSBGIg

[Wilikon]

Lois Lerner Targeted Chuck Grassley After He Blocked Obama’s DOJ Tax Nominee


Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2014/07/01/lois-lerner-targeted-chuck-grassley-after-he-blocked-obamas-doj-tax-nominee/#ixzz36NIuRPtx

Ex-Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner tried to audit Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley after Grassley blocked President Obama’s nominee to head the Department of Justice (DOJ) tax division, an executive branch insider told The Daily Caller.

Grassley made it more difficult for the IRS and DOJ to work together to target conservative groups by blocking Obama’s political appointee Mary L. Smith from taking over the DOJ Tax Division, which prosecutes criminal cases for the IRS. Grassley held up the nomination in early 2010, just as Lerner and fellow IRS officials were mapping out their targeting strategy. The White House later withdrew Smith’s nomination.

The source confirmed to The Daily Caller that the White House and IRS officials “were very upset at Senator Grassley and Republicans for blocking a vote on Mary Smith’s nomination.”

The IRS relies on the DOJ Tax Division to prosecute both criminal and civil cases, and has entire legal teams devoted to making DOJ referrals. Placing a political appointee as assistant attorney general for the DOJ Tax Division was a top priority for the Obama White House.

Grassley made sure that no Obama political nominee got confirmed for the post, and kept in a “career,” or non-political, DOJ tax head for another two years.

http://dailycaller.com/2014/07/01/lois-lerner-targeted-chuck-grassley-after-he-blocked-obamas-doj-tax-nominee/

[InwardContour]

Learned appears here to argue that the law does not cover the prosecution that Whitehouse would find responsible. Hers would of course not be a legal opinion.

Right, which is why they illegally sent the huge database of confidential taxpayer information to the DOJ.  There was no witchhunt, eh?

http://online.wsj.com/articles/fbi-returns-taxpayer-information-it-got-from-irs-1402504785

The Obama administration has essentially decided that no one is going to be criminally prosecuted over this scandal.

[Spendulus]

Learned appears here to argue that the law does not cover the prosecution that Whitehouse would find responsible. Hers would of course not be a legal opinion.

Right, which is why they illegally sent the huge database of confidential taxpayer information to the DOJ.  There was no witchhunt, eh?

http://online.wsj.com/articles/fbi-returns-taxpayer-information-it-got-from-irs-1402504785

The Obama administration has essentially decided that no one is going to be criminally prosecuted over this scandal.

Which translates into they want and intend to continue targeting opponents.   Signalling this in the fashions they have will likely result in short term ten times the corruption.

[InwardContour]

Learned appears here to argue that the law does not cover the prosecution that Whitehouse would find responsible. Hers would of course not be a legal opinion.

Right, which is why they illegally sent the huge database of confidential taxpayer information to the DOJ.  There was no witchhunt, eh?

http://online.wsj.com/articles/fbi-returns-taxpayer-information-it-got-from-irs-1402504785

The Obama administration has essentially decided that no one is going to be criminally prosecuted over this scandal.

Which translates into they want and intend to continue targeting opponents.   Signalling this in the fashions they have will likely result in short term ten times the corruption.

The Obama administration has aggressively opposed any kind of dissent on many fronts, from the IRS harassing groups that oppose it's views, to tapping the phone lines of reporters who receive information from leakers in the administration to the supreme court who was potentially going to overturn Obama's unconstitutional health care law.

[Bitsaurus]

Learned appears here to argue that the law does not cover the prosecution that Whitehouse would find responsible. Hers would of course not be a legal opinion.

Right, which is why they illegally sent the huge database of confidential taxpayer information to the DOJ.  There was no witchhunt, eh?

http://online.wsj.com/articles/fbi-returns-taxpayer-information-it-got-from-irs-1402504785

The Obama administration has essentially decided that no one is going to be criminally prosecuted over this scandal.

Which translates into they want and intend to continue targeting opponents.   Signalling this in the fashions they have will likely result in short term ten times the corruption.

The Obama administration has aggressively opposed any kind of dissent on many fronts, from the IRS harassing groups that oppose it's views, to tapping the phone lines of reporters who receive information from leakers in the administration to the supreme court who was potentially going to overturn Obama's unconstitutional health care law.

Well now media has become paid shills of the corporate owners.  Very few journalists now, and even fewer people who seek out the news rather than opinion.  People want news they can agree with, not news which disturbs them.  You will find this scandal pushed under the rug like all the other phony scandals.

[stevegreer]

Well now media has become paid shills of the corporate owners.  Very few journalists now, and even fewer people who seek out the news rather than opinion.  People want news they can agree with, not news which disturbs them.  You will find this scandal pushed under the rug like all the other phony scandals.

I agree with you about how the media is nothing more than a group of bought and paid-for shills. But how exactly is this a phony scandal? The IRS was unfairly targeting Conservative groups, and the top brass at the IRS are lying in front of Congress by cooking up some completely unbelievable story about a hard drive crash causing the complete loss of 2 years worth of emails. How is that a phony scandal?

[noviapriani]

WARNING!!!  Major Government Computer

Crash predicted in the coming two weeks!!


Issa Expands Investigation – Subpoenas 28 Years of Lois Lerner Emails
Posted by Jim Hoft on Wednesday, June 25, 2014, 7:05 PM

Lois Lerner, the controversial director of the tax-exempt organizations division at the Internal Revenue Service, has a long sordid history of targeting conservatives.

Under the direction of Lois Lerner, the Federal Election Commission sued the Christian Coalition in the 1990s. She harassed the Christian Coalition for three election cycles. Eventually, she lost her case. At one point Lerner even asked a targeted conservative if Pat Robertson prayed over him. (Sound familiar?)
In 1996, while at the FEC, Lois Lerner harassed Republican Senate candidate Al Salvi and made him this outrageous offer, “Promise me you will never run for office again, and we’ll drop this case.”

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/06/issa-expands-investigation-subpoenas-28-years-of-lois-lerner-emails/
Today House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) turned up the heat on Lois Lerner and subpoenaed 28 years of Lerner’s emails from 1986 until the present day.
Political Ticker reported:

    Expanding his IRS investigation by more than two decades, House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa, R-California, has sent a subpoena to the Federal Elections Commission for all communications involving former IRS administrator Lois Lerner from January 1, 1986 to the present day.

    This new search is the broadest-yet for records in a year-long investigation by Issa and congressional Republicans, who are trying to assess why the agency targeted tea party and other political groups for extra scrutiny.

    Issa issued the subpoena to Lee Goodman, head of the Federal Election Commission, on Tuesday for communications involving Lerner, who is seen as a central figure in the controversy because she ran the division that executed the targeting.

    She resigned last year after the Treasury Department’s inspector general found those working under her used “inappropriate” criteria to scrutinize certain groups. Since then, Lerner has refused to testify before Congress, invoking her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. This has added to the Republican push to find any documents related to Lerner and her time in government.

    In the on-going, determined GOP effort, Republicans are now reaching back to her career before the IRS.

    Lerner joined the FEC in 1981, first working in the general counsel’s office. Issa subpoena focuses on her work after 1986, when Lerner became the head of the FEC’s enforcement division.

[sana8410]

 The IRS has always had the role of judge, jury and executioner, every audit is a witch hunt.

"IRS Commissioner John Koskinen contributed more than $85,000 to Democratic candidates and committees, MRCTV research has discovered - with a $5,000 donation to President Obama in 2012 and $19,000 to the Democratic National Committee from 1988 to 2008."
...

those watching at home may have thought that Koskinen had served a long and storied civil service career "under Republican and Democratic administrations" - but as a matter of fact, prior to his appointment to the IRS six months ago, Koskinen worked as non-executive chairman of publicly-traded Freddie Mac (from 2008 to 2012.)

Koskinen was CEO at Freddie Mac in 2009 (He earned a cool $550,713 for his "service" that year).
...
According to Open Secrets records, the IRS Commissioner that so many described as "arrogant" contributed to every Democratic nominee for president since 1980. He gave $2,300 to Obama's first run for president in 2009 and $5,000 in 2012.

Hillary Clinton has received $3,800 from Koskinen.
...

"Badgering witnesses is inappropriate and shameful for this Committee to conduct itself in that manner," Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) said in Koskinen's defense during last night's testimony. "I want this committee to be run as it should be run, with respect and decorum. And badgering this Commissioner as virtually every member on the Republican side has done [tonight] is shameful. And it's gotta stop. Or I'm telling you, one member here is going to walk out and not return."

Nowhere in their impassioned defenses of Koskinen (or his noble public service) did Democrats mention that he has contributed almost $100,000 to their party.
http://www.cnsnews.com/mrctv-blog/barbara-boland/dems-fawn-over-irs-commissioner-who-contributed-over-85000-their

[noviapriani]

The IRS has always had the role of judge, jury and executioner, every audit is a witch hunt.

"IRS Commissioner John Koskinen contributed more than $85,000 to Democratic candidates and committees, MRCTV research has discovered - with a $5,000 donation to President Obama in 2012 and $19,000 to the Democratic National Committee from 1988 to 2008."
...

those watching at home may have thought that Koskinen had served a long and storied civil service career "under Republican and Democratic administrations" - but as a matter of fact, prior to his appointment to the IRS six months ago, Koskinen worked as non-executive chairman of publicly-traded Freddie Mac (from 2008 to 2012.)

Koskinen was CEO at Freddie Mac in 2009 (He earned a cool $550,713 for his "service" that year).
...
According to Open Secrets records, the IRS Commissioner that so many described as "arrogant" contributed to every Democratic nominee for president since 1980. He gave $2,300 to Obama's first run for president in 2009 and $5,000 in 2012.

Hillary Clinton has received $3,800 from Koskinen.
...

"Badgering witnesses is inappropriate and shameful for this Committee to conduct itself in that manner," Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) said in Koskinen's defense during last night's testimony. "I want this committee to be run as it should be run, with respect and decorum. And badgering this Commissioner as virtually every member on the Republican side has done [tonight] is shameful. And it's gotta stop. Or I'm telling you, one member here is going to walk out and not return."

Nowhere in their impassioned defenses of Koskinen (or his noble public service) did Democrats mention that he has contributed almost $100,000 to their party.
http://www.cnsnews.com/mrctv-blog/barbara-boland/dems-fawn-over-irs-commissioner-who-contributed-over-85000-their

Have you ever noticed, that while politicians of all stripes are a rather seedy bunch, when Republicans are caught with their pants down and their hand in the cookie jar,-------  the whole scandal is over in a matter of days or weeks, because their constituents demand their resignation, where there is evidence of real misconduct, they are GONE.  The Dems will continue defending and excusing their dirt bags for years and years and years     ----    ------   -------

[Rigon]

The thing is, that kind of "cleaning" leaves a trail too - so if they DID try to pull that, they'd likely get caught. And KC, you're "BTW" makes no sense. How does an organization accused of being politically biased against Democrats filing a suit claiming fraud by Democrats disprove their partisanship?

[zolace]

Ooops  I guess a lot of IT workers are going to be very busy making sure all tracks are covered and that all computers and ledgers are wiped clean. But "I lost the evidence" isn't an excuse in a court of law, it tends to fall on the side of the plaintiff if the defense loses the evidence so we the tax payers are probably going to get screwed by the IRS when they have to pay out yet again for their criminal behavior.

A pundit on tv suggested that the House needs to use their power of the purse to defund the IRS for all expenses other than collecting income taxes and supplying refund checks. I think that sounds like a wonderful idea and a lead into implementing the fair tax to ensure that the IRS never again is allowed to use its omnipotent power to abuse Americans.

BTW True the Vote which was accused of being partisan against democrats and for conservatives has filed a suit against the Mississippi republican Cochran for voter fraud. I guess that blows that IRS claim right out of the water.

[InwardContour]

Well now media has become paid shills of the corporate owners.  Very few journalists now, and even fewer people who seek out the news rather than opinion.  People want news they can agree with, not news which disturbs them.  You will find this scandal pushed under the rug like all the other phony scandals.

I agree with you about how the media is nothing more than a group of bought and paid-for shills. But how exactly is this a phony scandal? The IRS was unfairly targeting Conservative groups, and the top brass at the IRS are lying in front of Congress by cooking up some completely unbelievable story about a hard drive crash causing the complete loss of 2 years worth of emails. How is that a phony scandal?

The media has a very strong liberal bias and as a result they will not report as much on these types of scandals and will not ask tough questions.

[Spendulus]

Well now media has become paid shills of the corporate owners.  Very few journalists now, and even fewer people who seek out the news rather than opinion.  People want news they can agree with, not news which disturbs them.  You will find this scandal pushed under the rug like all the other phony scandals.

I agree with you about how the media is nothing more than a group of bought and paid-for shills. But how exactly is this a phony scandal? The IRS was unfairly targeting Conservative groups, and the top brass at the IRS are lying in front of Congress by cooking up some completely unbelievable story about a hard drive crash causing the complete loss of 2 years worth of emails. How is that a phony scandal?

The media has a very strong liberal bias and as a result they will not report as much on these types of scandals and will not ask tough questions.

This is probably an inadequate explanation.  Corruption in the IRS will detrimentally affect everyone, whatever their political inclination.

[Ron~Popeil]

Ooops  I guess a lot of IT workers are going to be very busy making sure all tracks are covered and that all computers and ledgers are wiped clean. But "I lost the evidence" isn't an excuse in a court of law, it tends to fall on the side of the plaintiff if the defense loses the evidence so we the tax payers are probably going to get screwed by the IRS when they have to pay out yet again for their criminal behavior.

A pundit on tv suggested that the House needs to use their power of the purse to defund the IRS for all expenses other than collecting income taxes and supplying refund checks. I think that sounds like a wonderful idea and a lead into implementing the fair tax to ensure that the IRS never again is allowed to use its omnipotent power to abuse Americans.

BTW True the Vote which was accused of being partisan against democrats and for conservatives has filed a suit against the Mississippi republican Cochran for voter fraud. I guess that blows that IRS claim right out of the water.

Just abolish it altogether. The treasury can process tax payments and refunds. Each tax return should be the size of a post card.

[Spendulus]

Ooops  I guess a lot of IT workers are going to be very busy making sure all tracks are covered and that all computers and ledgers are wiped clean. But "I lost the evidence" isn't an excuse in a court of law, it tends to fall on the side of the plaintiff if the defense loses the evidence so we the tax payers are probably going to get screwed by the IRS when they have to pay out yet again for their criminal behavior.

A pundit on tv suggested that the House needs to use their power of the purse to defund the IRS for all expenses other than collecting income taxes and supplying refund checks. I think that sounds like a wonderful idea and a lead into implementing the fair tax to ensure that the IRS never again is allowed to use its omnipotent power to abuse Americans.

BTW True the Vote which was accused of being partisan against democrats and for conservatives has filed a suit against the Mississippi republican Cochran for voter fraud. I guess that blows that IRS claim right out of the water.

Just abolish it altogether. The treasury can process tax payments and refunds. Each tax return should be the size of a post card.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991-1992, they went to a tax system that is one page, flat tax and takes about 5 minutes to fill out.

The Austrailian tax form also, takes just a few minutes to fill out.

The equivalent US one?  Maybe ten hours, and much of that is poring through incomprehensible paragraphs of complex instructions.  Result is you never know if you did it right. 

I was hoping that the 2009 collapse would result in reformation of this problem, but instead they've doubled down.  Not just in complexity of the morass of rules, but also in corruption.  It could be that corruption is best sheltered in complexity.

[stevegreer]

Well now media has become paid shills of the corporate owners.  Very few journalists now, and even fewer people who seek out the news rather than opinion.  People want news they can agree with, not news which disturbs them.  You will find this scandal pushed under the rug like all the other phony scandals.

I agree with you about how the media is nothing more than a group of bought and paid-for shills. But how exactly is this a phony scandal? The IRS was unfairly targeting Conservative groups, and the top brass at the IRS are lying in front of Congress by cooking up some completely unbelievable story about a hard drive crash causing the complete loss of 2 years worth of emails. How is that a phony scandal?

The media has a very strong liberal bias and as a result they will not report as much on these types of scandals and will not ask tough questions.

Aha! I see what you meant now. I totally agree with you.

[InwardContour]

Ooops  I guess a lot of IT workers are going to be very busy making sure all tracks are covered and that all computers and ledgers are wiped clean. But "I lost the evidence" isn't an excuse in a court of law, it tends to fall on the side of the plaintiff if the defense loses the evidence so we the tax payers are probably going to get screwed by the IRS when they have to pay out yet again for their criminal behavior.

A pundit on tv suggested that the House needs to use their power of the purse to defund the IRS for all expenses other than collecting income taxes and supplying refund checks. I think that sounds like a wonderful idea and a lead into implementing the fair tax to ensure that the IRS never again is allowed to use its omnipotent power to abuse Americans.

BTW True the Vote which was accused of being partisan against democrats and for conservatives has filed a suit against the Mississippi republican Cochran for voter fraud. I guess that blows that IRS claim right out of the water.

Just abolish it altogether. The treasury can process tax payments and refunds. Each tax return should be the size of a post card.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991-1992, they went to a tax system that is one page, flat tax and takes about 5 minutes to fill out.

The Austrailian tax form also, takes just a few minutes to fill out.

The equivalent US one?  Maybe ten hours, and much of that is poring through incomprehensible paragraphs of complex instructions.  Result is you never know if you did it right. 

I was hoping that the 2009 collapse would result in reformation of this problem, but instead they've doubled down.  Not just in complexity of the morass of rules, but also in corruption.  It could be that corruption is best sheltered in complexity.

I know that Australia is taxed at other times other then at income so this statement is not 100% true for their tax burden that is payable in time, but your point is still valid.

The US tax code is very complicated and caters to several special interest groups. Romney was going to try to fix this if he was elected president by creating somewhat of a flatter tax rate, and having a much higher standard deduction rate and eliminating most deductions and exemptions

[Ron~Popeil]

Ooops  I guess a lot of IT workers are going to be very busy making sure all tracks are covered and that all computers and ledgers are wiped clean. But "I lost the evidence" isn't an excuse in a court of law, it tends to fall on the side of the plaintiff if the defense loses the evidence so we the tax payers are probably going to get screwed by the IRS when they have to pay out yet again for their criminal behavior.

A pundit on tv suggested that the House needs to use their power of the purse to defund the IRS for all expenses other than collecting income taxes and supplying refund checks. I think that sounds like a wonderful idea and a lead into implementing the fair tax to ensure that the IRS never again is allowed to use its omnipotent power to abuse Americans.

BTW True the Vote which was accused of being partisan against democrats and for conservatives has filed a suit against the Mississippi republican Cochran for voter fraud. I guess that blows that IRS claim right out of the water.

Just abolish it altogether. The treasury can process tax payments and refunds. Each tax return should be the size of a post card.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991-1992, they went to a tax system that is one page, flat tax and takes about 5 minutes to fill out.

The Austrailian tax form also, takes just a few minutes to fill out.

The equivalent US one?  Maybe ten hours, and much of that is poring through incomprehensible paragraphs of complex instructions.  Result is you never know if you did it right. 

I was hoping that the 2009 collapse would result in reformation of this problem, but instead they've doubled down.  Not just in complexity of the morass of rules, but also in corruption.  It could be that corruption is best sheltered in complexity.

I know that Australia is taxed at other times other then at income so this statement is not 100% true for their tax burden that is payable in time, but your point is still valid.

The US tax code is very complicated and caters to several special interest groups. Romney was going to try to fix this if he was elected president by creating somewhat of a flatter tax rate, and having a much higher standard deduction rate and eliminating most deductions and exemptions

Romney had some good ideas. Corruption killed any shot he had at being elected though. Your average American is far more disenfranchised than they realize.

[InwardContour]

Ooops  I guess a lot of IT workers are going to be very busy making sure all tracks are covered and that all computers and ledgers are wiped clean. But "I lost the evidence" isn't an excuse in a court of law, it tends to fall on the side of the plaintiff if the defense loses the evidence so we the tax payers are probably going to get screwed by the IRS when they have to pay out yet again for their criminal behavior.

A pundit on tv suggested that the House needs to use their power of the purse to defund the IRS for all expenses other than collecting income taxes and supplying refund checks. I think that sounds like a wonderful idea and a lead into implementing the fair tax to ensure that the IRS never again is allowed to use its omnipotent power to abuse Americans.

BTW True the Vote which was accused of being partisan against democrats and for conservatives has filed a suit against the Mississippi republican Cochran for voter fraud. I guess that blows that IRS claim right out of the water.

Just abolish it altogether. The treasury can process tax payments and refunds. Each tax return should be the size of a post card.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991-1992, they went to a tax system that is one page, flat tax and takes about 5 minutes to fill out.

The Austrailian tax form also, takes just a few minutes to fill out.

The equivalent US one?  Maybe ten hours, and much of that is poring through incomprehensible paragraphs of complex instructions.  Result is you never know if you did it right. 

I was hoping that the 2009 collapse would result in reformation of this problem, but instead they've doubled down.  Not just in complexity of the morass of rules, but also in corruption.  It could be that corruption is best sheltered in complexity.

I know that Australia is taxed at other times other then at income so this statement is not 100% true for their tax burden that is payable in time, but your point is still valid.

The US tax code is very complicated and caters to several special interest groups. Romney was going to try to fix this if he was elected president by creating somewhat of a flatter tax rate, and having a much higher standard deduction rate and eliminating most deductions and exemptions

Romney had some good ideas. Corruption killed any shot he had at being elected though. Your average American is far more disenfranchised than they realize.

I would say it was less corruption and more the fact that Obama "bought" votes with giving people things like free healthcare and extended unemployment benefits, and 2% interest rates on mortgage modifications.