Transcript of recording of phone call placed by IRS agent Sherry Wan to Pro-Life Revolution President Ania Joseph March 8, 2012 Full audio: http://www.adfmedia.org/files/ProLifeRevolutionIRScall.wav Audio clips with words graphically displayed on screen: http://vimeo.com/67822932 Related news release: http://www.adfmedia.org/News/PRDetail/8247 http://www.adfmedia.org/files/ProLifeRevolutionCallTranscriptIRS.pdf
Computer Access Not Restricted, Lerner Continues to Log In to IRS System http://www.nationalreview.com/corne...erner-continues-log-irs-system-eliana-johnson Lois Lerner, the Internal Revenue Service’s director of Exempt Organizations currently on paid leave, has not had any of her computer access restricted since she abdicated her responsibilities, according to an IRS source with knowledge of the situation. Lerner was placed on administrative leave on May 21 after refusing to tender her resignation, and logged into the IRS’s computer system using her agency computer as recently as June 4, the source tells me. She has the ability to access the same information that was available to her before she was placed on leave. The sources tells National Review Online: Since Lerner is not currently dealing with taxpayers while on leave, she is forbidden from accessing any taxpayer data, though her computer permissions allow her to do so. Based in Washington, D.C., Lerner oversaw the division that actively discriminated against conservative groups applying for tax exemption. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/349619/why-she-took-fifth-eliana-johnson As National Review Online has reported, Lerner also stymied the House Oversight Committee’s efforts to investigate the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups, telling the committee last year that the criteria for evaluation applications for tax exemption had not changed – though the criteria had in fact been amended in order to identify the applications of tea-party groups. In a 90-page letter to the committee, she also defended the intrusive letters sent to many tea-party groups, calling them routine and a matter of course. Lerner’s hard drive was copied weeks ago by the IRS and uploaded to a secure server accessible to investigators looking into the IRS’s discrimination against conservative groups.
House panel to probe alleged seizure of medical records by IRS http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatc...ed-seizure-of-medical-records-under-scrutiny- A top House committee launched another probe of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Tuesday after a lawsuit alleged that the agency improperly seized millions of personal medical records in California. In a letter, Republican leaders on the Energy and Commerce panel asked the IRS to explain how it handles confidential medical information. "While [federal] privacy rules restrict the ability of a covered entity to release protected health information, those rules appear to impose no restrictions on the IRS's ability to use such information after it is obtained," the lawmakers wrote. The California lawsuit, first reported in March, is the latest in a string of controversies to hit the IRS, which is facing additional scrutiny given its role in implementing ObamaCare. The agency is under fire from Congress for targeting Tea Party groups with additional scrutiny as they applied for tax-exempt status. Republicans have said the offense renders the IRS incapable of neutrally enforcing tax penalties under healthcare reform starting next year. The Energy and Commerce leaders echoed that criticism on Tuesday. "In light of these allegations and in anticipation of the IRS's increased role in implementing healthcare under [the Affordable Care Act], we are writing to request information regarding your agency's ability to protect the confidential medical information of millions of Americans," the lawmakers wrote. The lawsuit in California alleges "corruption and abuse of power" by 15 unnamed IRS agents who purportedly stole more than 60 million medical records while investigating the former employee of a healthcare provider. That provider was not named. "No search warrant authorized the seizure of these records; no subpoena authorized the seizure of these records; none of the 10 million Americans [reflected in the records] were under any kind of known criminal or civil investigation," the complaint reads. Plaintiffs argue that the alleged seizure violated the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unlawful searches. The medical records contained "intimate and private information … including [details about] psychological counseling, gynecological counseling, [and] sexual or drug treatment," the complaint reads. Tuesday's letter was sent to IRS acting Commissioner Danny Werfel, who was given the post in May after his predecessor, Steven T. Miller, was forced out. The class action suit was filed in San Diego Superior Court on March 11. It was first reported by the Courthouse News Service, an agency based in Pasadena, Calif.
Well we figured it would come to this. Since the wetdreams of a presidential “scandal” are all but dead, it makes sense that the crazies would now move on to their general hatred for the IRS. Their frustration is palpable.
Congressman Asks: Why Are IRS Agents Training With AR-15s? June 12, 2013 [rquoter]Rep. Jeff Duncan wants to know why IRS law enforcement agents are training with AR-15 rifles. As chairman of the House Homeland Security oversight subcommittee, Duncan (R-S.C.) toured a federal law enforcement facility in late May and noticed agents training with the semi-automatic weapons at a firing range. They identified themselves as IRS, he said. “When I left there, it’s been bugging me for weeks now, why IRS agents are training with a semi-automatic rifle AR-15, which has stand-off capability,” Duncan told POLITICO. “Are Americans that much of a target that you need that kind of capability?” While Duncan acknowledges that the IRS has an enforcement division, he questions if that level of firepower is appropriate when they could coordinate operations with other agencies, like the FBI, especially in a time of austerity.[/rquoter] http://reason.com/24-7/2013/06/12/congressman-asks-why-are-irs-agents-trai
don't know whether this belongs in this thread or the NSA thread, but it's awesome either place. [rquoter]Chairman Issa: Thank you for your ongoing efforts to investigate abuses of civil liberties by employees of the Internal Revenue Service. These abuses seem to indicate a larger, higher pattern of ideologically-driven harassment of Americans which Congress has an obligation to fully investigate with every tool at our disposal. Frankly I am disappointed by revelations Obama administration personnel have been less than forward about what they knew and when they knew it. As you know, recent revelations the National Security Agency has been keeping an “ongoing, daily” log of every domestic phone call in the United States. I respectfully request your Committee subpoena the records of every phone call made from all public and private telephones of all IRS personnel to all public and private telephones of all White House personnel. If President Obama is collecting such information, he certainly would want us to use it. If he has nothing to hide he has nothing to be afraid of. Warmest wishes, STEVE STOCKMAN Member of Congress[/rquoter] http://stockman.house.gov/media-cen...-subpoena-of-nsa-s-white-house-irs-phone-logs
Report: FBI Hasn’t Contacted A Single Tea Party Group In Its Criminal Investigation Of IRS… No wonder Mueller couldn’t answer a single question on it today. Via Daily Caller: There is no evidence that the FBI has contacted a single tea party group in its criminal investigation of the Internal Revenue Service, according to the groups the IRS abused. “We have not been contacted by any federal investigative agency and, to date, none of our clients have been contacted or interviewed by the FBI,” Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice told The Daily Caller on Thursday. The ACLJ has filed suit against the IRS on behalf of 25 conservative groups, with additional groups being added in the next couple weeks, according to a spokesman. “I have been very surprised that I have not heard from anybody and frankly, none of my clients have. I talk to other tea party leaders on a regular basis,” said Cleta Mitchell, the lawyer largely credited with pushing the IRS abuses to the forefront. “It’s been a month and I can’t see any evidence of an investigation of the IRS,” Mitchell told TheDC Thursday. She represents nine tea party groups targeted by the IRS. Tea Party Patriots — a group with thousands of local chapters — “has not been contacted by the FBI” either, according to Jameson Cunningham, the group’s spokesman. Keep reading… http://dailycaller.com/2013/06/13/f...ngle-tea-party-group-in-irs-probe-groups-say/
I think the reason this scandal just won't have much impact has nothing to do with being unable to tie it to the White House. Even if they did it wouldn't be devastating. The reason is that a lot of Americans feel like the IRS SHOULD target the tea party and even if they don't feel that way, a convincing argument can be made that while targeting is bad, the law that allows these groups to operate is totally flawed and they really should all be denied anyway. It's WRONG that they were specifically targeted for their political beliefs, but at the same time it's hard to feel all that sorry for groups that have at their core a political agenda trying to get tax exemption due to a stupid provision that needs to be fixed.
I can go along with that as long as ALL political and/or social change organizations are allowed the same or NO exemptions or exceptions.
There's a difference between social change organizations and groups that are focused on getting out the vote to beat Obama.
Unfortunately, in reality there is no difference. Social change groups are partisan by nature ... and therefore political by nature. Oh, and what about the groups that were "focused on getting out the vote" to ELECT our dear leader Hussein.
Not really but I understand that tea partiers might not believe that. There are plenty of groups that work to prevent abortions that aren't focused on elections. Edit: You added the part about Obama, but yeah, those groups shouldn't have the status either.
I think we agree that rules MUST apply EQUALLY to all groups and/or political parties. Where we do not agree is that tea partiers might not believe that -- we have been and will always be dedicated upholding the U.S. Constitution and federal, state and local laws. There are laws we would like to change legally. You are watching too much MSNBC and CNN.
Snicker. I don't watch either of those channels, and I never said that tea partiers don't think rules should apply to both side. I said that tea partiers (you) seem to think (based on your posts in THIS thread) that social welfare organizations and political organizations are always one and the same. That's where we seem to disagree.
Dude you just proposed like five items where Congress should take over executive power in contravention of the Constitution. Do you have amnesia?
No to the amnesia question. As for my proposed changes, they might require Constitutional amendment -- as provided in (surprise!) the U.S. Constitution.
