“The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.” – President Barack Obama, Inauguration, 1/20/09
This has gone past “not working” but outright rebellion of a federal agency against those constitutionally bound to oversee them. In other words, the IRS is using Congress as its snot rag in being as obstructionist as possible in defending itself in the TEA Party targeting case. Rule of Law? Nope; this shows that the IRS continues to believe that it is above the Law (even as it would use such to crush you if its attention turned your way; emphasis mine):
IRS Deleted Hundreds of Back-up Tapes Containing Thousands of Lerner Emails After Congressional Subpoena Was Issued
This used to be called obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence.
According to new information from the House Oversight Committee, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration [TIGTA] Russell George and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Tim Camus, the IRS deleted hundreds of backup tapes containing thousands of emails belonging to former IRS official Lois Lerner, the woman at the center of the conservative targeting scandal. The tapes were destroyed nine months after a congressional subpoena was issued to the agency demanding they be preserved and turned over.
“As Ms. Lerner’s hard drive could not be recovered and the 422 tapes most likely to have contained Ms. Lerner’s e-mails from 2010 and 2011 were erased in March 2014, we were unable to recover all of the missing e-mails. Comparing the IRS e-mail transaction logs to the IRS production to the Congress revealed there could be as many as 23,000 to 24,000 additional missing e-mails.
What a coincidence – “my dog ate my homework” defense for me but not for thee. What’s this, the fourth of fifth time we’ve heard similar after swearing up and down for a couple of years of “nope, nothing to see here”. And, by the way, we’re blameless. Even if we have DEFIANTLY defied a legal order from Congress.
Anyone OTHER then me keep thinking that perhaps the time of qualified indemnity for our faceless bureaucrats should be ending? WHY hasn’t Congress used the most famous (and feared) IRS tactic against it – pick a few officials and send them to jail!
(H/T: Townhall)
