If the IRS’s illegal targeting of conservative organizations based purely on political persuasions constituted “not even a smidgen of corruption” in the chief revenue collection agency, we can’t wait to hear how Barack Obama is going to characterize the latest outrage.
Turns out the IRS is housing thousands of pages of documents – 2,043 to be exact – related to correspondence between the tax agency and the White House concerning requests for tax returns of individuals or businesses. In other words, the White House asked to see specific tax information of certain Americans. And given the IRS’s stellar track record – not to mention the little fact that the agency is supposed to be entirely apolitical – this is cause for more than a smidgen of concern.
The disclosure comes after two years of investigations and legal efforts by the non-profit government watchdog Cause of Action. In 2012, Cause of Action filed a Freedom of Information request for “records of communication between the White House and the IRS concerning taxpayer information, particularly communications that were not made pursuant to 6103(g) of the tax code, which authorizes the President to request any individual’s tax return information from the IRS.”
No doubt too busy implementing new guidelines for targeting conservative and Tea Party groups, the IRS balked at the request. In response, Cause of Action sued, and a judge sided with the watchdog and ordered the IRS to turn over all related documents by Dec. 1.
Last week, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) – which, ironically, is the office investigating potential IRS wrongdoing – said the IRS would comply and turn over more than 2,000 pages of documents. In an abrupt about-face, however, this week TIGTA sent a letter – dated Dec. 1 – to Cause of Action conceding the existence of 2,043 pages of documents relating to the FOIA request but claiming the IRS can’t turn them over because the information in them is protected under 26 U.S.C. § 6103 and can’t be released without “an express statutory exemption.”
Likewise, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew refused to release documents pertaining to improper disclosures because – wait for it – to do so would be an improper disclosure.
The very fact that TIGTA and Lew acknowledge these documents, however, is a flaming red flag. And Cause of Action spokesperson Dan Epstein said the high number of documents points to wrongdoing and “indicates scandal.”
Indeed, it’s difficult not to come to this same conclusion, considering recent IRS-White House snuggle fests. As Investor’s Business Daily reported, former White House senior economics adviser Austan Goolsbee somehow knew that the Koch brothers “do not pay corporate income tax” through Koch Industries – information he would have known only if he had access to the Koch brothers' tax records – which the White House should not have access to. And email communication between the IRS and the White House, provided by the IRS to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, contained redactions labeled “6103,” indicating private taxpayer information –information that, again, the White House should not have access to.
Ironically, the revelation of the 2,000-plus potentially implicating documents comes on the heels of the miraculous discovery of 30,000 “lost” Lois Lerner emails – emails that will almost undoubtedly reveal even more attempts by the administration to weaponize the IRS for political aims.
Back in 2009, Obama jokingly threatened to use the IRS against a good-natured adversary. Unfortunately, it was no joke. Obama might think he can keep tossing out platitudes about commitment to the integrity of the law. But we’ve heard those platitudes before. And if there is one thing truly transparent about this administration, it’s the lies it tells.
Despising the sacred honor of serving as president, Obama has used the privilege of elected office to wage war on Americans. This is the strategy of tyrants, not leaders. And it’s no laughing matter.
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