Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Friday, May 20, 2016

Cooperate -- Or Else

The chairman of the top House investigative panel introduced a measure Wednesday to censure IRS Commissioner John Koskinen -- and remove him from office without a pension -- in the latest bid by Republicans to pressure him into being more cooperative in their probe of the 2013 IRS targeting scandal.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, head of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is seeking Koskinen’s resignation or removal for what he calls an alleged “pattern of conduct inconsistent with the trust and confidence placed in him as an officer of the United States.”

If censured, Koskinen, who became commissioner in 2013, would also forfeit his government pension and other federal benefits.

House Republicans are upset with what they consider Koskinen's failure to cooperate with their investigation of Lois Lerner and other IRS officials who targeted for additional scrutiny conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status.

Chaffetz on Wednesday cited a long list of grievances in calling for the censure -- including Koskinen allegedly lying under oath, allowing “key evidence” to be destroyed by failing to comply with a subpoena and not preserving backup computer tapes that contained as many as 24,000 missing Lerner emails, allegedly destroyed by a computer malfunction.

“Koskinen must be held accountable for his misconduct,” Chaffetz said in a statement. “I am committed to using every tool at my disposal to hold Mr. Koskinen responsible for his offenses.”

More

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

And you should. Good job.

Anonymous said...

Do it. DO IT!!

Anonymous said...

It's time to abolish the IRS and create a simple tax code so they wouldn't be needed anyway.

Anonymous said...

It's about time that SOMEBODY at the IRS was held responsible. Lerner's taking the 5th was an obvious sign that crimes were being and had been committed. And for her emails to mysteriously disappear... well, what can we say?

Anonymous said...

Hey, the former "Public Printer" got years of credit for a federal retirement while he was employed by the Union. Why is this different? They are ENTITLED to it so quit bitching.

Anonymous said...


Take it further.

Any Federal employee stalling on Congressional requests, or FOIA requests is subject to suspension w/o pay, dismissal and forfeiture of pension. The big wheels can drag their feet because a crew of lower ranking employees follow orders to stall, delete, etc.

That would get the underlings attention.