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IRS idea of “a few” turns out to be … 88
Hotair ^ | 06/01/2013 | Ed Morrissey

Posted on 06/01/2013 10:33:26 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

How many IRS employees were involved in targeting conservative groups for “extra scrutiny,” delays, and harassment? The IRS insisted that the issue was limited to “a few low-level employees” in one office. When it came time to secure computers and lock down files for investigators, though, the IRS concept of “few” seems a little … bloated:

The Internal Revenue Service has told House GOP investigators they have identified 88 IRS employees who may have documents relevant to the congressional investigation into targeting of conservative groups, according to a congressional source familiar with the investigation.

The IRS asked these employees to preserve all the “responsive documents” on their computers, and it has been in the process of collecting it all to comply with congressional requests for information. The IRS missed its May 21st deadline to turn over documents to the House Ways and Means Committee. …

The request for documents was a bipartisan one, but Republicans are privately preparing to seize on the fact that if nearly 90 IRS employees may have been somehow involved in this targeting, it is evidence that the controversy extends well beyond the mistakes by a few low level employees.

You think? The IRS says that the number simply reflects their desire to be responsive, which would be a first, but that doesn’t pass the laugh test. If the practice was contained to just “a few” people working on their own without orders, there is no way that you’d have eighty-eight people connected to it. Unless the IRS wants to argue that it’s supervision is so poor and ineffective that 88 employees can conspire to target people for their political beliefs and no one in authority would have the first clue about it, that’s an absurd posture to take. Don’t bet against that argument getting rolled out at some point, though.

In related news, the IRS has also stiffed the Senate Finance Committee’s demand for documentation:

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) declined Friday afternoon to meet a Senate Finance Committee deadline for answering detailed questions about the origins of the IRS scandal. The questions had been submitted jointly nearly two weeks ago by Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-UT).

In a joint statement to Breitbart News, Baucus and Hatch said:

“It’s disappointing that the IRS failed to produce any of the documents requested by the Committee.

“This is an agency that revolves around making the American taxpayer meet hard deadlines each and every year when they file their taxes, oftentimes penalizing those that are late.

“The IRS needs to do much better.”

It’s one thing to stiff the House, where Republicans control the Ways and Means Committee and the optics are a little (but not a lot) more partisan. Baucus and Hatch took pains to make the Senate committee request bipartisan and reasonable, and yet … the IRS couldn’t bring itself to comply here, either. If they want to leave the impression that they’re haughty and unaccountable — or more accurately, even more so than normally thought — they’re doing a bang-up job this month.

We may start seeing a few subpoenas from both chambers of Congress soon … and by “a few,” I could mean 88 or more.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: benghazi; fastandfurious; impeachnow; irs; scandal; teaparty
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1 posted on 06/01/2013 10:33:26 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Another Gang of 88.


2 posted on 06/01/2013 10:36:32 AM PDT by Amagi (Obama is never so animated as when he is assaulting the Constitution.)
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To: SeekAndFind

so 88 means “a few” to the irs.

field day approaching.

88 people were not doing this under the radar of so many bosses abovfe them. they were a dedicated department exclusively targeting obama’s enemies.


3 posted on 06/01/2013 10:38:18 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man (I can neither confirm or deny that; even if I could, I couldn't - it's classified.)
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To: Amagi

So, that means I can send them a few dollars this year for my taxes, right???


4 posted on 06/01/2013 10:38:27 AM PDT by The Antiyuppie ("When small men cast long shadows, then it is very late in the day.")
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To: SeekAndFind
There they go again....hiring minorities.....must be an Australian Aborigine buried deep in the administration doing the count.....

1....2.....3....many.....

5 posted on 06/01/2013 10:38:43 AM PDT by spokeshave (The only people better off today than 4 years ago are the Prisoners at Guantanamo.)
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To: SeekAndFind

So, they have identified 88 more dimocrat criminals. I wait and HOLD MY BREATH while the US Congress actually does something about this. No one will lose their job. No one will go to jail. They are protected by Dear Leader.


6 posted on 06/01/2013 10:40:37 AM PDT by RetiredArmy (1 Cor 15: 50-54 & 1 Thess 4: 13-17. That about covers it.)
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To: SeekAndFind

F&F
Benghazi
IRS oppression of political opponents
EPA persecution of conservatives.

Obama had no clue. He is obviously not up to this job.


7 posted on 06/01/2013 10:43:10 AM PDT by gitmo ( If your theology doesn't become your biography it's useless.)
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To: SeekAndFind
well, compared to the tens of thousands that work for the IRS, i guess 88 is a few, few being a relevant word and all...
8 posted on 06/01/2013 10:44:17 AM PDT by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: Chode
make that ...relevant... relative
9 posted on 06/01/2013 10:48:59 AM PDT by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: SeekAndFind

The Treasury IG Report is horse hockey. They did a cursory audit and discovered malfeasance.

If they have now discovered that 88 IRS employees have documentation regarding the targetting, then you can assume this was a division wide directive that went up MANY levels into IRS management.

Worse, anectdotal evidence suggests that various branches/divisions of the IRS worked with the FBI and ATF to further harass some citizens.

The GOP better wake up and treat this as all-out war or terrorism. This has to be rooted out and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.


10 posted on 06/01/2013 10:58:39 AM PDT by Bryan24 (When in doubt, move to the right..........)
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To: SeekAndFind

That means it’s a WHOLE LOT MORE than just 88.


11 posted on 06/01/2013 11:07:31 AM PDT by Smokeyblue
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To: SeekAndFind

In an organization that employs a couple of million I guess 88 is “A FEW”. Defund and dump the IRS totally.


12 posted on 06/01/2013 11:17:33 AM PDT by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: Bryan24
The GOP better wake up and treat this as all-out war or terrorism. This has to be rooted out and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Cannot be said loud enough!

When you take a step back and look at this, reason will tell you that this IRS scandal(s) was(is) nothing short of a no-holds-barred attempt at vote stealing on a national level. The Chicago thugs are not messing around. This is a gun fight, not a knife fight! The tyrants are full bore against the Right and have won the battle of the election.

But the election was just positioning as an army would take the higher ground. Winning the election was just a phase in a series of phases. The usurpers have other crap up their sleeves. They ain't done yet.

The Repubs in Congress can do many things. But one thing they can do is call ALL 88 of the employees up to Congress and under oath, grill them mercilessly, including the face and focal point of this tyranny, Lois Lerner. The Repubs have the moral high ground on this issue, indeed. Keep the conspiracy alive and kicking until, at least 2014 election.

13 posted on 06/01/2013 11:17:45 AM PDT by VRW Conspirator (Cyprus - the beginning)
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To: VRW Conspirator

Do you sense we are heading for a New American revolution.
Do you hear the people sing! singing the song of angry men.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTLwzuQuRsw


14 posted on 06/01/2013 11:37:03 AM PDT by ncfool (Obama's aMeriKa 2012 can we make it until 2016?)
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To: VRW Conspirator

Do you sense we are heading for a New American revolution.
Do you hear the people sing! singing the song of angry men.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTLwzuQuRsw

Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!

Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?

Then join in the fight
That will give you the right to be free!

Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!

Will you give all you can give
So that our banner may advance
Some will fall and some will live
Will you stand up and take your chance?
The blood of the martyrs
Will water the meadows of aMeriKa!

Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!


15 posted on 06/01/2013 11:40:14 AM PDT by ncfool (Obama's aMeriKa 2012 can we make it until 2016?)
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To: ncfool
Do you sense we are heading for a New American revolution.

24601

16 posted on 06/01/2013 11:41:28 AM PDT by VRW Conspirator (Cyprus - the beginning)
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To: VRW Conspirator

We must defeat Javier.


17 posted on 06/01/2013 11:44:27 AM PDT by ncfool (Obama's aMeriKa 2012 can we make it until 2016?)
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To: SeekAndFind
IRS idea of “a few” turns out to be … 88; SO FAR

Fixed it. There will be more.

18 posted on 06/01/2013 11:48:21 AM PDT by SeaHawkFan
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To: SeekAndFind

All right, so it’s 88 rogue employees, then, hey you know what they say about how most Muslims aren’t terrorists, right? Same thing!


19 posted on 06/01/2013 11:51:00 AM PDT by jiggyboy (Ten percent of poll respondents are either lying or insane)
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To: SeekAndFind
Now, let's hear the liberals (democrats) say that this was just one or two people who were making improper decisions on their own. These directives were coming in from the commissioner because he didn't put a stop to this targeting. Obama’s presidential campaign had an enemies’ list. That speaks volumes. Can you image the list that his party has that is unknown to date. They went after companies as Gibson Guitar for their contributions to the Republican candidates. We need the whistle blowers to come forward so they can save themselves from going to prison; though helping to reform the IRS most importantly.
20 posted on 06/01/2013 12:03:50 PM PDT by Christie at the beach
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