"Oh, what a tangled web we weave...when first we practice to deceive." - Walter Scott The IRS Is Not Out Of Control Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, provided an interesting perspective on last week's House Oversight hearing on the IRS targeting scandal. During the hearing, emails were presented showing that after seeing a draft copy of an IRS Inspector General report on the political targeting of non-profits, Lois Lerner told her co-workers to be "cautious" in their email communications because "Congress might be watching." She also asked the IRS IT department if the department's internal chat system was searchable. Lerner's IT colleague, Maria Hooke, responded, "No, the IRS does not routinely save chat communications – unless employees intentionally take steps to preserve their conversations. These chat communications are not saved – and this is critical – despite the fact that "the functionality exists within the software." And how did Lerner respond? "Perfect." I am reminded of something Lord Acton once said, "Everything secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity." Or, as Jay Sekulow opined, "Some have said the IRS was out of control. I'd say the opposite. It was very much in control – doing exactly what it was intended to do with relative impunity, including setting up its own IT resources not to preserve records but to cover its tracks." The online dictionary defines conspiracy as "an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; plot, a combination of persons for a secret, unlawful, or evil purpose, an agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, fraud, or other wrongful act." American citizens live in constant fear of the IRS wrecking havoc on their lives, seizing their assets and throwing them in prison – and all with impunity. Yet evidence now shows that Lois Lerner and certain colleagues at the IRS clearly conspired to punish select politically conservative individuals and non-profits; actions that are a clear violation of federal law. If this were an isolated incident one could make the case that Lerner and her cohorts could have been given appropriate reprimands and the IRS resumed normal business operations. But this is not an isolated case. Political targeting and retaliation by the IRS has been standard operating procedure since the agency's inception. It is part of the organizational and operational DNA. The Lerner case demands a special prosecutor. And America demands that the IRS be given a national pink slip. The FairTax® stands ready to fully replace the current income tax code. And it is the only tax replacement plan before Congress that gives the IRS their walking papers. If you agree, please send a note to your local newspaper and ask the editor to endorse the FairTax. If you are on Facebook, share this picture and tell your friends why you support the FairTax Plan. Tell them that under the FairTax they will never have to dread April 15 again, because their days of filing tax returns will be over. Most importantly, be sure and let them know the FairTax disbands, defunds and eliminates the IRS. Until next week, Cindy Canevaro Executive Director |
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