Posted on 06/09/2015 6:01:23 AM PDT by Don Corleone
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about the targeting of Conservative organizations by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). I appreciate hearing from you on this issue.
Like many Americans, I am disturbed by the idea that the IRS would target groups for their political beliefs. These actions by the IRS have caused many to lose trust in the federal government and in the agency's ability to administer our nation's tax laws.
As you may know, in May 2013, the IRS Inspector General released a report stating that inappropriate criteria were used to identify 501(c)(4) status applications for review. According to IRS regulation at the time, these 501(c)(4) organizations were allowed to engage in political activities so long as they were not more than 50 percent of the organization's activities. The IRS, however, ignored their own guidance which led to the unfair targeting of these organizations. Following the release of the Inspector General report, there have been numerous Congressional hearings to investigate this serious matter.
Rather than restoring confidence in the American people, the IRS chose to issue new guidance broadly defining political activity. Under this definition, 501(c)(4) organizations would have continued to face limitations. I joined my Republican colleagues in sending a letter to IRS Commissioner Koskinen, raising concerns that "under the proposed definition, social welfare organizations would face limitations on their participation in even the most benign activity of non-partisan voter registration drives." However, in 2014, the IRS announced that it was not moving forward with the proposed rule after receiving tens of thousands of comments from concerned citizens. In addition, I am an original co-sponsor of S. 283, the Stop Targeting of Political Beliefs by the IRS Act. This bill would prevent the IRS from modifying the standard for determining whether a 501(c)(4) organization is operated exclusively for the promotion of social welfare in attempt to stop this unfair political targeting.
Rest assured that I will continue to push for a resolution to this serious problem. The American people deserve a solution that would prevent this type of activity by the federal government from ever happening again, preserves the First Amendment, and restores the people's trust in the institution of government.
Thank you again for contacting me with your concerns. I appreciate hearing from you. Please do not hesitate to contact me again on this or any other matter of concern
What a repulsive senile POS.
“I am disturbed....” Yep.
A McStooge nothing burger memo. How long does it take for an intern to print that out and run it through the auto pen?
I seem to remember reports that it was actually him who got the IRS to ‘get’ conservatives in general, and Tea Party organizations in particular.
Glad to see you’re putting all of those IRS thugs in jail, John.
What’s it been now: two or three years with no results?
You should run for president.
I stopped reading right there; McCain isn't going to say anything more true than that.
John McCain was in on it.
All because a N.Vietnanese SAM missile malfunctioned.
What he should have said was, “As an entrenched, card-carrying member of the GOP establishment, I fully support IRS investigations into the so-called Tea Party and other conservative organizations. Senators McConnell, Graham and I, as well as many of our Democratic friends are working diligently to ensure that constitutional conservatives never threaten our chokehold on power. did I mention that I’m disturbed...?”
FUJM
Lying sack of $#!*, he was one of the people wanting the tea party groups targeted.
Please AZ, rid us of this cancer in our political system.
5.56mm
“”How long does it take for an intern to print that out and run it through the auto pen?””
It’s disgusting when we take the time to write to our congress critters about a certain subject that the replies we get are a restatement of the problem we addressed in our original letter to them. We are probably more aware of the facts of the problem than the legislator. We do NOT NEED them to restate it for us and count it as a reply. I bet if all the replies to our letters/emails were gathered up they would be identical. I think some enterprising soul sells them from the basement of the Capitol.
Disengaged and Mailing It In. Literally. McStooge is playing election cycle games. He could care less.
that's BS. Hey Jaun, the people have no faith or trust in you and the rest of our government because you and others in DC no longer work for the people and have become lawless and corrupt which allows every federal agency you people are supposed to manage to become corrupt and lawless. There is no equal justice in the US any longer because of DC crooks such as yourself, padded courts and corrupted law enforcement agencies filled with crooks who have betrayed their oath of office.
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