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FLASHBACK: WilmerHale Gets Obama's Church Off IRS Hook (Wilkins now chief counsel for IRS)
The American Lawyer ^ | May 22, 2008 | Zach Lowe

Posted on 05/16/2013 7:15:49 AM PDT by maggief

Lawyers from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have won the dismissal of an IRS case against United Church of Christ, Sen. Barack Obama's denomination.

The IRS initiated an investigation early this year after a speech by Obama at a 50th anniversary celebration of the church last June. It was a reference by Obama to his presidential candidacy in a talk otherwise focused on faith that caught the agency's attention.

(snip)

Obama has been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago -- a UCC congregation -- for more than 20 years. The church has been in the headlines for several months now as the congregation lead by the controversial Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

WilmerHale was retained after church officials interviewed several firms, according to partner William Wilkins. "We were so interested in the case we offered to do it pro bono," Wilkins says.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanlawyer.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: christophermeade; irsscandal; jeremiahwright; obamachurch; repository; williamwilkins; wilmerhale
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Bio:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/william-j-wilkins/gIQAwg0ZAP_topic.html

William J. Wilkins Chief Counsel for the IRS and Assistant General Counsel at the Treasury Department (since July 2009)

(snip)

Role in Obama IRS Case

In February 2008 the IRS launched an investigation into a speech made by then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) at Chicago's United Church of Christ. The IRS said the probe would determine whether the event was a violation of the rule that bars church participation in political campaigns.

The investigation was a serious matter for the church, as punishment for such an IRS violation can range from a hefty fine to a devastating revocation of tax-exemption status.

Obama's speech, which he delivered months before announcing his presidential candidacy, focused on his personal journey in the Christian faith. United Church of Christ officials steadfastly defended their actions and said they took pains to make sure the event wasn't political.

After the IRS investigation was made public, the Washington, D.C., office of WilmerHale announced it would defend the United Church of Christ on a pro-bono basis. Wilkins and a colleague at the law firm were placed in charge of the high-profile case.

On May 13, 2008, the IRS closed the investigation into the speech with a formal letter declaring no laws were broken. The unusually quick resolution of the case was probably due, in part, to the skilled representation provided by Wilkins and others at WilmerHale.

(snip)

1 posted on 05/16/2013 7:15:49 AM PDT by maggief
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To: maggief

Obama’s IRS basically shut the tea party and conservatives out of the 2012 election and out of politics.

The tea party grew and in the 2010 election the tea party won a great victory

So Obama’s IRS shut down or prevented many tea party groups from starting . This is why the 2012 election favored democrats and why Obama won.

Obama’s IRS intimidated many conservatives form taking part in the political process and from raising money for causes they believed in

basically the IRS shut down the tea party to rig the election for democrats in 2012 and for Obama

there would have been a lot more conservatives elected to congress if the tea party groups were allowed to raise money. additionally maybe a conservative would have been nominated for the GOP (as tea party groups couldn’t raise money for a conservative in the primary)

so the election is invalid , Obama must be impeached and the IRS must be abolished not given more power with obamacare. democrats/socialists stole the U.S. senate andthe presidency in the 2012 election.


2 posted on 05/16/2013 7:19:45 AM PDT by Democrat_media (IRS shut down tea party so that Democrats could steal the Senate & Presidency)
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To: hoosiermama; RoosterRedux; thouworm; penelopesire; Liz; SE Mom; onyx; crosslink; LucyT

Thought this old article deserved its own thread.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

*See my additions to timeline.

Timeline Shows Influence of Soros-Funded Groups

*May 13, 2008: IRS closed investigation into a speech made by then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) at Chicago’s United Church of Christ. WilmerHale announced it would defend the United Church of Christ on a pro-bono basis. Wilkins and a colleague at the law firm were placed in charge of the high-profile case.

*April 17, 2009: Obama Nominates William J. Wilkins to be IRS Chief Counsel.

March 1-17, 2010: First ten reported cases of targeting by the IRS against groups that had ties to the “tea party or similar organizations.”
Sept. 16, 2010: TIME article “The New GOP Money Stampede” quotes Wertheimer;
Sept. 23, 2010: DISCLOSE act, a campaign finance disclosure act specifically targeting a Tea Party group, in the writing of which the CLC participated, fails in the Senate;
Sept. 28, 2010: Democrat Senator Max Baucus writes a letter to the IRS, citing the TIME article;
Oct. 5, 2010: Democracy 21 and Campaign Legal Center petition IRS, Wertheimer writes HuffPo article;
Oct. 7, 2010: Legal brief from HoltzmanVogel PLLC against the Democracy 21 petition;
Oct. 14, 2010: Dick Durbin asks IRS to investigate American Crossroads, HuffPo coverage;
June 27, 2011: Second petition to the IRS by CLC and Democracy 21;
June 29, 2011: IRS senior agency official Lois Lerner briefed on efforts to target groups which “criticize how the country is being run”;

*Aug. 4, 2011: Meeting in which the IRS’s chief counsel appears to have conferred with agency officials to discuss the activities of a team in the Cincinnati field office that had been subjecting applications for tax-exempt status from Tea Party and other conservative groups to a greater degree of review than those from other organizations. (Under IRS rules, the agency’s chief counsel, William J. Wilkins, reports to the Treasury Department’s general counsel, and investigators want to determine if Wilkins took the issue out of the independent IRS to other parts of the Obama administration.)

Sept. 28, 2011: CLC and Democracy 21 petition IRS again, this time about four conservative groups;
Oct. 31, 2011: CPI “investigation”;
Nov. 18, 2011: Mother Jones article;
Nov. 21, 2011: Alternet repost of Mother Jones Article;
Dec. 29, 2011: New York Times oped;
Jan. 15, 2012: IRS targeted groups focusing on limiting government or educating on the Constitution and Bill of Rights;
February 2012: First articles promoting this issue appear in New York Times, Washington Post and LA Times
$6.1 Million in Soros Funding Since 2000

*July 17, 2012: Lois G. Lerner responded with a three-paragraph letter (to watch dog groups) suggesting that the agency might consider reviewing its rules.

*Summer 2012: George W. Madison, General Counsel, US Department of the Treasury, steps down.

*April 30, 2013: Acting Treasury General Counsel Christopher Meade confirmed. From 2005 to 2010, Meade was a partner with the law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.

Center for Public Integrity: $2,716,328
Campaign Legal Center: $677,000
Media Consortium: $675,000
Mother Jones: $485,000
Democracy 21: $365,000
ProPublica: $300,000
Alternet: $285,000
Human Rights Campaign: $600,000


3 posted on 05/16/2013 7:23:38 AM PDT by maggief
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To: maggief

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6_1Pw1xm9U


4 posted on 05/16/2013 7:28:50 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: maggief

this needs to be sent to Levin, Rush, Hannity, Fox news, etc....


5 posted on 05/16/2013 7:39:08 AM PDT by God luvs America (63.5 million pay no income tax and vote for DemoKrats...)
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To: Democrat_media

I AGREE with you 110%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


6 posted on 05/16/2013 7:48:19 AM PDT by bandleader
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To: maggief

Your blowing the “couple of low level employees”. Out of the water

Lets use this thread as a repository to collect materials

Will add the —
Soros connection $6.1 million to go after tea parties etc

http://m.cnsnews.com/blog/mike-ciandella/soros-gave-61-million-groups-linked-pressure-irs-target-conservative-nonprofits


7 posted on 05/16/2013 7:56:26 AM PDT by hoosiermama (Obama: "Born in Kenya" Lying now or then.)
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To: Democrat_media

BTTT


8 posted on 05/16/2013 7:57:42 AM PDT by kitkat (STORM THE HEAVENS WITH PRAYERS FOR OUR COUNTRY)
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To: hoosiermama

THANKS for the addition.


9 posted on 05/16/2013 7:59:15 AM PDT by kitkat (STORM THE HEAVENS WITH PRAYERS FOR OUR COUNTRY)
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To: God luvs America

YES. If you will also drop in drudge and breitbart tip box the word might get out

The more work like that we do the more time is left for others who research


10 posted on 05/16/2013 8:01:36 AM PDT by hoosiermama (Obama: "Born in Kenya" Lying now or then.)
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To: hoosiermama

snip-”Also in 2008, Obama’s allies at a Soros-tied outfit named Accountable America sent out “warning” letters to 10,000 top GOP givers “hoping to create a chilling effect that will dry up contributions.” Witch hunt leader Tom Matzzie, formerly of Soros-funded MoveOn.org, promised “legal trouble, public exposure and watchdog groups digging through their lives.” Matzzie also advertised a $100,000 bounty for dirt on conservative political groups “to create a sense of scandal around the groups” and to dissuade donors from giving money.”

http://michellemalkin.com/2013/05/15/a-brief-history-of-slimy-dem-snoops-and-dumpster-divers/


11 posted on 05/16/2013 8:21:35 AM PDT by Mortrey (Impeach President Soros)
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To: hoosiermama

“The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) official who apologized for targeting conservative nonprofit groups for extra scrutiny is married to an attorney whose firm hosted a voter registration organizing event for the 2012 Obama re-election campaign, praised President Obama’s policy work, and had one of its partners appointed by Obama to a key ambassadorship.”

http://weaselzippers.us/2013/05/16/husband-of-irs-official-in-charge-of-unit-targeting-conservatives-has-strong-ties-to-the-obama-regime-worked-on-his-re-election-campaign/


12 posted on 05/16/2013 8:29:17 AM PDT by Mortrey (Impeach President Soros)
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To: maggief

Wow! Terrific work Maggie! Sending your link to Glenn Beck and Drudge!


13 posted on 05/16/2013 8:34:54 AM PDT by penelopesire (TIME FOR OBAMA TO ANSWER FOR BENGHAZI UNDER OATH!!)
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To: maggief

IRS scandal bump for later.......


14 posted on 05/16/2013 8:38:22 AM PDT by indthkr
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To: penelopesire

Fr.needs a LIKE button


15 posted on 05/16/2013 8:41:13 AM PDT by hoosiermama (Obama: "Born in Kenya" Lying now or then.)
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To: hoosiermama; maggief

That would be great! A tweet function would be good too.

BTW...’sneed’ reporting that Holder will be replaced soon and Obama is eyeing Deval Patrick to replace him!!


16 posted on 05/16/2013 8:43:32 AM PDT by penelopesire (TIME FOR OBAMA TO ANSWER FOR BENGHAZI UNDER OATH!!)
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To: penelopesire

Ones just as.bad as the other.

But will still celebrate when he goes!


17 posted on 05/16/2013 8:54:08 AM PDT by hoosiermama (Obama: "Born in Kenya" Lying now or then.)
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To: hoosiermama

Now reports that Obama is going to appoint Susan Rice as National Security advisor!! Can you believe it?! That tells me he is going to continue to be in our face with his thuggery until the moment we get him impeached.

Dangerous times ahead FRiend.


18 posted on 05/16/2013 8:58:53 AM PDT by penelopesire (TIME FOR OBAMA TO ANSWER FOR BENGHAZI UNDER OATH!!)
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To: maggief

I think this was a deliberate attempt at gaining press coverage of Obama the Muslim’s “Christian faith.” And to gin up support in the black community by drawing attention to the persecution of black churches by the IRS.


19 posted on 05/16/2013 9:04:47 AM PDT by petitfour
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To: maggief
The IG report reveals that Wilkins was notified of the targeting of conservatives on August 4, 2011.

The man appointed by Obama to Chief Counsel of the IRS--one of only two political appointees at the IRS--had personal knowledge of the scandal and we're to believe Obama and the White House had no knowledge of this prior to recent news reports?

Meet William J. Wilkins -- the President's Man at the IRS

As of this moment, this important article by Carol Platt Liebau has not been posted at FR. I don't have time to post the article. Hopefully, someone else will post this important piece.

20 posted on 05/16/2013 4:29:36 PM PDT by AHerald ("Do not fear, only believe." - Mark 5:36)
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