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2014 Update on IRS Targeting
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Between mountains of paperwork, complicated codes, and the fear of fines, paying taxes every year is a huge burden for hardworking Americans. Last year, insult was added to injury when the public discovered that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) appears to be targeting individuals and groups because of their political beliefs and activities. This unprecedented intrusion into the private lives of our fellow citizens transcends party politics and demands accountability for the bureaucrats responsible.
In the House of Representatives we are working hard to get to the bottom of this scandal. Sadly, the IRS has stonewalled the investigation every step of the way. At the heart of the scandal is Lois Lerner who delivered partial testimony before somewhat dubiously invoking her Fifth Amendment right not to implicate herself in potential criminal activity. As the former director of the IRS Tax Exempt unit, Lerner’s refusal to answer why, under her direction, conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status faced excessive hurdles and were targeted for harassment is unacceptable. On May 7, the House of Representatives voted to hold her in contempt of Congress.
Despite the roadblocks, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform as well as the Committee on Ways and Means, have collected thousands of pages of documents, conducted numerous interviews, and held multiple hearings. Because of the relentless pursuit of the truth by these Republican-led House Committees, the truth is slowly but surely coming to light.
Unfortunately, the liberal mainstream media wants to call this a “phony scandal.” They want us to close our eyes and move along to more politically convenient subjects. As a result, I was astonished when the President claimed there was “[n]ot a smidgeon of corruption.” It’s a sad statement that words like “patriot” and “Constitution,” which honor our heritage and should be celebrated, were used to highlight applications for “additional scrutiny.” In the House, we are committed to exposing any and all wrongdoing related to this unjust targeting. In the words of the House Speaker: “I want to know who is going to jail.”
The best way for you to monitor the Committees’ progress on this investigation is by visiting their publicly accessible websites: waysandmeans.house.gov and oversight.house.gov. You can also find updated information from the House Republican Conference at gop.gov/irs. I will be using the hashtag, #IRSTargeting, when discussing this issue on Facebook and Twitter. If you are interested in sharing your opinions on the IRS investigation, you can also join the discussion there.
As always, if you have feedback on this situation or any other issue where I can be of assistance, please let me know via the contact page on my website, foxx.house.gov. You can also receive regular updates about my work in Washington by visiting my website to sign up for my e-newsletter.
Sincerely,
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