Posted on 07/23/2014 4:55:53 AM PDT by Kaslin
Judge Susan Dlott may not be a household name among conservatives; but the federal judge’s decision last week allowing a lawsuit against the IRS to move forward might make her one. By rejecting the demand from federal government attorneys that the case be dismissed, thereby allowing some of the charges to continue to trial, Dlott has struck a meaningful blow in support of those of us in America still committed to the pursuit of the truth and the rule of law. Her ruling is by no means a slam-dunk for the Tea Party groups involved in the lawsuit; but it is a vital step in holding politically-motivated IRS officials accountable for violating the constitutional rights of conservatives.
Being able to have a day in court seemed an unlikely prospect at the outset of this scandal. One need only consider the IRS’ systematic stonewalling of Congress to understand just how strong is the out-of-control agency’s commitment to protecting itself against being held accountable for misdeeds. If the agency’s top brass was so brazen as to defy seasoned and relentless investigators like House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, then attempting to torpedo a mere lawsuit in federal District Court must have seemed like child’s play for the Establishment. Fortunately for justice -- and the Constitution -- Judge Dlott is not buying into the IRS’ arguments that it is immune from having to defend its actions in a court of law.
The judge did caution that much of what the Tea Party has alleged will be difficult to prove; after all, evidence at the IRS seems mysteriously to disappear daily.
In fact, Thomas Kane, the IRS Deputy Associate Chief Counsel, who oversees document production for congressional investigations, testified last Thursday to a congressional panel about “computer problems” affecting other members of the IRS, including some directly involved in the investigation, which might prevent the IRS from fully complying with Issa’s subpoenas. His testimony contained other bombshells. IRS officials originally claimed that “problems” destroyed disgraced former Service official Lois Lerner’s email communications, erasing likely incriminating evidence linking her (and probably other Obama Administration officials) to criminal conduct. Kane’s testimony now indicates this too may have been more obstruction from top IRS officials. “I don’t know if there is a backup tape with information on it or there isn’t,” Kane told investigators; concluding in a classic understatement, “I know that there’s an issue out there about it.”
“Finding out that IRS Commissioner [John] Koskinen jumped the gun in reporting to Congress that the IRS ‘confirmed’ all back-up tapes had been destroyed makes me even more suspicious of why he waited months to inform Congress about lost Lois Lerner e-mails,” Issa said in a statement following Kane’s testimony. The apparent flip-flop on such a crucial component of the investigation raises the prospect that the IRS was floating the lie about the tapes in order to see if it could escape prosecution; and when it became clear Issa had no intention of relenting in his pursuit, they are now backtracking to avoid additional charges. For instance, a U.S. Archivist recently told a congressional committee the IRS “did not follow the law” by failing to report the loss of Lerner’s emails.
The only thing we know for sure is the IRS is doing everything it can to bury the evidence and the truth. This presents an interesting moral quandary for Democrats, who for years watched in silence as the Obama Administration ran roughshod over every conceivable safeguard against government corruption. “If the government is right in [the Tea Party] case, it means that from now on, no matter who the president is, the IRS can pick out a group of people that disagrees with the president and pull those people out, delay them, harass them, target them, and there's nothing anyone can do about it,” says Edward Greim, the attorney representing the Tea Party groups suing the IRS.
The refusal to so much as even impliedly question Obama’s lawlessness reflects how Democrats have painted themselves into a corner. By remaining silent in the face of repeated Administration scandals over the last six years, Democrats became complicit in likely criminal behavior of the Administration. Furthermore, as Greim highlighted, their silence sets a dangerous precedent of a virtually unchecked Executive Branch; one that eventually will fall back into the hands Republicans sooner than Democrats care to admit -- ironically because of this refusal to speak out against misconduct.
The manner in which Democrats in the House and the Senate have served to defend and enable the Administration’s brazen lawlessness should – hopefully will – hurt them at the polls this fall. In the meantime, Judge Dlott’s interim ruling permitting the Tea Party lawsuit against IRS abuses to move forward, is an important reminder the rule of law still burns in America, if dimly and sporadically.
Obamacare is going to be exactly the same....withholding care of Republicans and Conservatives....mark my word.
Well-said, Ann Archy.
From a different thread FReeper servantboy777…
ABOLISH the IRS.
The government should never ever be allowed to abuse this power again.
Bob’s wrong: the Executive isn’t falling back into the hands of the Republicans any time soon.
That’s why there’s such a good comfort level with them doing this
ALL Americans, not just conservatives should quake in their boots over the IRS scandal.
Katherine Englebeck (True the vote) had the full weight of the gubbamint come down on her and her husband's private business as well as their political organization in an effort to bury their voice under a mountain of bureaucracy and intimidation. OSHA, FBI, ATF, IRS, EPA all visited these folks here in Texas.
Utilizing the IRS or any of the alphabet agencies to abridge liberty and further efforts by a federal behemoth to whittle away at Americans pursuit of a life absent of tyranny is abhorrent to a free society.
This WAS a direct attack on America! Make no mistake, we the people are the enemy. They seek to divide Americans along the lines of race, social economic class, religion, sexual preference, political affiliation. Flood our country with foreigners who give a rat's partake about our founding documents to advance a socialist/communist agenda.
We are all Americans. When boiled down, Americans are being played against one another and the major tool used is entitlements. Mismanage our financial future, cause the middle, lower middle and below middle class to suffer economically.......then come to the rescue with a pot full of sugar. With lil strings attached.
Again. ABOLISH THE IRS! Our survival as a free people depend upon it.
Falling back in 16. I call that some time soon.
Apparently it goes far beyond just sending private info to liberal groups.
There was a report yesterday, IIRC, the IRS was coordinating with the NSA and providing info on the TEA Party for the NSA to spy on because the TEA Party are terrorist.
The IRS targeting the TEA Party, not just “right wing extremist” but TEA Party specifically, started right before the attempted car bombing in NYC which they tried to blame on the TEA Party.
The IRS targeting the TEA Party wasn’t about getting Zippo reelected, the intent was to have their political opposition declared terrorist so they could start rounding them up.
Our little lefty friends made a move for absolute power and it failed only because the bomb didn’t go off.
They didn’t stop because they failed at their attempt, they are still trying.
The IRS is a flea(louse) in the hairdo of the federal givernment..
Big hair, comb-overs.. wigs, fake mustaches.. abound..
It’s Kibuki Theatre on crack... makeup, stranges noises, and costumes divert.. attention..
Getting rid of the IRS will do nothing.. when the federal reserve stands..
And rogue Executive Branch Agencys..
i.e. The purged Military, FBI, CIA, BATF, NSA, Homeland Security.. etc..
Which will end in more stone-walling but that’s OK. More evidence will come out in the trial. Keep the pressure on. That’s what Issa’s doing. More cracks will show in the wall.
When you hit a stone wall, keep poking, pretty soon you’ll find a loose stone. Pull it out, more will come loose, soon the whole thing will collapse.
Freepers keep an eye on this case and post results.
Other than Nixon TRYING to use the IRS, just WHO on the Republican side has done this.....NAMES please.
Not the point though. The point is if ONE president, no matter which side of the aisle, it's one too many.
Disregard Coolidge, Nixon was one too many. We've since seen at least 3 additional presidents utilizing this agency to intimidate.
The latest is by far the most egregious. Time to put an end to it. The IRS is the most punitive agency in the feral gubbamint. This is not the Soviet Union.
“Some say this, and some say that” isn’t good enough. SOME say that some Freepers are Democrats......this is TOTALLY a DEMOCRAT OBAMA ACTIVITY!!!!! Baby Bush did NOTHING of the sort unless you can PROVE that.
Whatever! You missed the point. But hey, maybe Jeb will continue on with the Bush legacy for ya.
Hey boy....I want NO more Bushes for President, but they are decent people who don’t do what you accused him of doing.
>>Hey boy....I want NO more Bushes for President, but they are decent people who don’t do what you accused him of doing.<<
Prove it!
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