Cebu_4_2
9th July 2015, 11:44 AM
Obama IRS Scandal Now IRS-FBI-Justice Dept. Scandalhttp://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/070815-760762-no-end-in-sight-for-obama-irs-scandal-that-keeps-growing.htm
Lois Lerner, who headed the IRS unit that decides whether to grant tax-exempt status to groups, listens during a House Oversight and Government...
Lois Lerner, who headed the IRS unit that decides whether to grant tax-exempt status to groups, listens during a House Oversight and Government... View Enlarged Image
Corruption: The latest batch of IRS documents to be publicly released shows a government conspiring to criminalize political opposition. Did we learn about this from an inquisitive news outlet? Unfortunately, no.
Thanks to a band of lawyers called Judicial Watch, and no thanks at all to the mainstream press, we are learning about a shady October 2010 meeting between former IRS official Lois Lerner, Justice Department officials and the FBI. It was at this gathering of minds, says Judicial Watch, that the parties planned "for the possible criminal prosecution of targeted nonprofit organizations for alleged illegal political activity."
Records unearthed by Judicial Watch also document the IRS transferring confidential tax returns from 113,000 nonprofit social welfare groups to the FBI "as part of its prosecution effort."
They also show "the Obama DOJ wanted IRS employees who were going to testify to Congress to turn over documents to the DOJ before giving them to Congress."
This scandal has come quite a way since it was first confirmed nearly 800 days ago that IRS was targeting for added scrutiny conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status. Harassing conservative and Tea Party organizations and holding up their paperwork are one level of misconduct.
But planning to send people to prison because they have different political views seems criminal itself.
It's unlikely anyone in this government will be convicted and sentenced for meeting to talk about charging interest groups with crimes. But there remains the fact that while Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chaired the House Oversight Committee, he sent a letter to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen telling him that Lerner might have violated federal tax law when she transmitted those tax returns to the Justice Department.
At the very least, we should see a proper investigation into this charge.
Meanwhile, as Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton says, these new documents "show that the Obama IRS scandal is also an Obama DOJ and FBI scandal."
From what Fitton has seen, he believes "the FBI and Justice Department worked with Lois Lerner and the IRS to concoct some reason to put President Obama's opponents" in prison before his re-election.
What would we do without Judicial Watch and its Freedom of Information Act lawsuits?
Clearly, the media haven't been terribly curious about the scandal. But that's no surprise, since Obama has been their darling since early 2008 and they will do whatever is necessary to protect him, including looking the other way at scandals that might hurt him.
Though the Republicans appear curious, we really haven't seen much from them despite their control of the House since 2011 and the Senate since January. Had the party roles been reversed, the Democrats would have turned Washington upside down long ago.
We don't truly expect anyone to spend time in a federal pen over any part of this growing scandal. Politics will override justice. But wouldn't it be nice if official Washington did its job for a change and at least made some people uncomfortable?
Lois Lerner, who headed the IRS unit that decides whether to grant tax-exempt status to groups, listens during a House Oversight and Government...
Lois Lerner, who headed the IRS unit that decides whether to grant tax-exempt status to groups, listens during a House Oversight and Government... View Enlarged Image
Corruption: The latest batch of IRS documents to be publicly released shows a government conspiring to criminalize political opposition. Did we learn about this from an inquisitive news outlet? Unfortunately, no.
Thanks to a band of lawyers called Judicial Watch, and no thanks at all to the mainstream press, we are learning about a shady October 2010 meeting between former IRS official Lois Lerner, Justice Department officials and the FBI. It was at this gathering of minds, says Judicial Watch, that the parties planned "for the possible criminal prosecution of targeted nonprofit organizations for alleged illegal political activity."
Records unearthed by Judicial Watch also document the IRS transferring confidential tax returns from 113,000 nonprofit social welfare groups to the FBI "as part of its prosecution effort."
They also show "the Obama DOJ wanted IRS employees who were going to testify to Congress to turn over documents to the DOJ before giving them to Congress."
This scandal has come quite a way since it was first confirmed nearly 800 days ago that IRS was targeting for added scrutiny conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status. Harassing conservative and Tea Party organizations and holding up their paperwork are one level of misconduct.
But planning to send people to prison because they have different political views seems criminal itself.
It's unlikely anyone in this government will be convicted and sentenced for meeting to talk about charging interest groups with crimes. But there remains the fact that while Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chaired the House Oversight Committee, he sent a letter to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen telling him that Lerner might have violated federal tax law when she transmitted those tax returns to the Justice Department.
At the very least, we should see a proper investigation into this charge.
Meanwhile, as Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton says, these new documents "show that the Obama IRS scandal is also an Obama DOJ and FBI scandal."
From what Fitton has seen, he believes "the FBI and Justice Department worked with Lois Lerner and the IRS to concoct some reason to put President Obama's opponents" in prison before his re-election.
What would we do without Judicial Watch and its Freedom of Information Act lawsuits?
Clearly, the media haven't been terribly curious about the scandal. But that's no surprise, since Obama has been their darling since early 2008 and they will do whatever is necessary to protect him, including looking the other way at scandals that might hurt him.
Though the Republicans appear curious, we really haven't seen much from them despite their control of the House since 2011 and the Senate since January. Had the party roles been reversed, the Democrats would have turned Washington upside down long ago.
We don't truly expect anyone to spend time in a federal pen over any part of this growing scandal. Politics will override justice. But wouldn't it be nice if official Washington did its job for a change and at least made some people uncomfortable?