THIS Is FROM CONGRESSMAN KENNY MARCHANT (R-TX) GOING AFTER THE IRS AND THE LYING KUNT-a LOIS LERNER: Marchant and Ways & Means Committee Pursue Criminal Charges of ex-IRS Official Today, Congressman Kenny Marchant (TX-24) and the Ways and Means Committee voted to pursue criminal charges against former IRS official, Lois Lerner, with the Department of Justice. The Ways and Means Committee, through an ongoing congressional investigation, accused Lerner of improperly influencing the IRS to take action against conservative organizations, impeding the inspector general who uncovered the Tea Party targeting, and recklessly exposing taxpayer information. Congressman Marchant, a member of the Ways and Means Committee, began investigating acts of IRS political discrimination over two years ago. Following concerns that individuals in the 24th District of Texas were being targeted by the IRS, Marchant put forward repeated inquiries to the IRS about the targeting of conservative groups. Despite constant denials by IRS and Administration officials, a report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) confirmed IRS targeting of conservative groups. Marchant has introduced and co-sponsored multiple pieces of legislation to protect taxpayers from IRS targeting. Since the resignation of several IRS officials, Marchant has continued to demand that decisions be expedited for pending 501(c)(4) applications that were subject to political targeting (see Marchant’s “IRS Political Targeting Investigation Timeline”). Marchant issued the following statement: “Today’s referral to the Department of Justice is the most serious and precise action to bring accountability to the IRS for its abuses, and assure taxpayers that suppression of free speech will not be tolerated. “My colleagues and I formally called on the Department of Justice to consider criminal prosecution of Lois Lerner. Based on evidence uncovered by our Committee’s investigation of IRS political discrimination, it is clear that Lerner played a central role in the IRS’s unlawful targeting of conservative groups. Lerner, and any other person who orchestrated the IRS’s political targeting, must be held fully accountable for their criminal actions. “A simple apology and the resignation of a few IRS officials does not excuse the IRS’s egregious behavior and gross abuse of power. Taxpayers across the country that were unfairly targeted based on their political or religious beliefs – including constituents and Tea Party groups in my district in Texas – deserve accountability.*“In addition to holding those accountable that violated the law, we must ensure that such suppression of free speech never happens again. That is why over the last two years I have advanced legislation to hold the IRS to higher standards, and pushed the IRS and Administration for expedited review of long-pending applications. “All Americans, whether conservative or liberal, deserve equal treatment under the law and genuine accountability when their rights are abused. We must never accept anything less. ” The letter to the Department of Justice can be found here. Additional Information: Congressman Marchants IRS Political Targeting Investigation Timeline Notable IRS Accountability Bills Introduced & Supported by Marchant during 113th Congress: Disclosure of Taxpayer Rights Act (H.R. 2923, sponsor) IRS Strict Standards and Accountability Act (H.R. 2924, sponsor) STOP IRS Act (H.R. 2565, cosponsor) Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act (H.R. 2009, cosponsor) Stop Targeting of Political Beliefs by the IRS Act (H.R. 3865, cosponsor) Protecting Taxpayers from Intrusive IRS Requests Act (H.R. 2531, cosponsor)
Posted on: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 00:19:33 +0000
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