Posted on 08/08/2013 7:46:19 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
“If you thought the IRS targeting — scandal, controversy, whatever you want to call it — was forgotten, think again,” said CNN’s Jake Tapper, introducing Dana Bash’s report last night on House Oversight Chair Darrell Issa’s expansion of the probe. Issa requested information from the Federal Election Commission after leaked e-mails suggested that coordination may have taken place between the two agencies in pursuit of conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status. That may increase the focus on one particular figure in the scandal, as well as potentially add more to it:
House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa demanded Wednesday that the Federal Election Commission turn over records of more than five years of communications with the Internal Revenue Service – a move that significantly expands the California Republican’s ongoing probe of alleged federal targeting of conservative groups.
Issa has already received a response from FEC chair Ellen Weintraub, lamenting the possibility that news media have reported on “innuendo.” Nonetheless, she wants to turn the investigation over to the Inspector General simultaneously to releasing the documentation to Oversight (via Instapundit):
The stated reason for the request is “[t]o help ensure that the FEC has not coordinated with the IRS on the targeting of Americans on the basis of their political beliefs.” As you note, this is a grave allegation. If true, and I have seen no evidence of this to date, such targeting would be unacceptable. Even a suspicion of improper targeting affects the credibility of the agency. Therefore, after having read this same allegation in a National Review Online article the morning of our meeting, I immediately referred the matter to the FEC’s Inspector General for an impartial, independent review. I did not discuss the referral during our meeting because I had not yet conferred with the Inspector General as to what, if anything, may be made public during the pendency of such an investigation. She has confirmed that I may share the fact of the referral. …
The National Review Online article appears to have been based on an email exchange, which you now have, in which a staff attorney sought guidance on the process by which the IRS confers tax exempt status on 501(c)(4) organizations and sought assistance in obtaining publicly available information. No confidential tax information was requested or received in those communications, and as noted, the search for all other communications is ongoing.
That one particular e-mail didn’t ask for confidential information, but as Weintraub herself notes, the information it did explicitly request was publicly available. Why, then, ask the FEC to involve itself in an IRS investigation at all? Why didn’t the investigator look up the FEC filings on line, as many of us do? Lois Lerner, who worked at the FEC prior to the IRS, was known for politicizing her work in both places, and it’s very interesting that IRS investigators reached out to Lerner’s old haunts to target conservatives.
Impeachment File on Communist, Benghazi Coward “B. Hussein Obama,” formerly known as Barry Soetoro, currently a Legal Citizen of the Sovereign Nation of Indonesia.
Maybe Issa should add the DEA as well. The targeting may not have been political, but the illegal use of the IRS is the same.
Communication and coordination between government agencies seems like it would fall under “Intergovernmental Affairs”. Perhaps they should find the Assistant to the President for Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs and see if that person can provide some information about this.
More chances for corrupt politicians to get more face time in front of more cameras, spouting inanities, asking disjointed questions and then immediately leaving the hearing room for other, “more pressing” matters.
Were the GOP politicians to each cede their 5 minutes to the likes of Gowdy, something might be accomplished and I wouldn't be posting this......but they won't, and so I do.
Issa starts out all of these great ideas....investigate this, end that, having hearings with whomever to testify. Then nothing seems to come of it.
May as well can add Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny too.
His probe has no point. Issa should admit he’s incompetent and resign.
Makes sense given that was where Lois Slow Lerner “worked” (ROFLMAO!!! “worked) before going to the Gestapo.
Exactly correct. Remember when Obama was bullying Ford Motor Co. a few years back. Issa said he was going to investigate, but his investigation just vaporized. Vanished.
I have not faith in Issa as Boner pulls his strings.
Unless this leads to criminal charges and/or Obamas Impeachment and I doubt it will, this is just a big show.
Darrell needs to go find his balls first! He is such a bitter disappointment. He’s just slow-walking all of this until enough of the country’s LIV’s loose interest. Like most of the R’s in the Congress, Issa is a limp dick!
As the FEC and IRS saying, "Tea Party application? We'll stick it innuendo first."
I think there were some Founding Fathers that thought the harder it was to get things done the fewer liberties would be infringed upon over time.
At the rate this is going, we should have some answers around, uhhhhhh.. 2035 or so?
Good point. IRS/FEC/DEA/NSA/DOJ.. Every agency was involved in 0bama’s campaign. Illegal as hell, but that’s what happens when 20-something bimbos vote for a celebrity to idolize, rather than a dignified and honest man who loves America.
He just pontificates and tries to placate Conservatives that "something is being done", when, if fact, NOTHING comes of these Investigations.
No offense Big Bob but at least Issa and very few others have the cojones to go up against the Kenyan Clown and his band of thieves. Who would you reccommend? I am really getting frustrated with some of the FReeper’s comments about why this or that won’t work or they’re not a good candidate but then offer no viable options or solutions.
While Issa is Issa, he is not acting alone but according to a plan developed by the collective elected minds.
They have determined a plan of attack and are conducting assaults accordingly
In my view they are attempting to cause pain and perhaps death over a protracted calculated period.
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