Posted on 06/03/2013 9:21:24 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Ahead of new hearings on the IRS abuse scandal, the House Government Oversight and Reform Committee has released transcripts of depositions it has taken with IRS employees. The employees directly contradict IRS honcho Lois Lerner’s claim that the targeting was merely the work of “rogue” employees in the IRS Cincinnati office.
Q: So is it your perspective that ultimately the responsible parties for the decisions that were reported by the IG are not in the Cincinnati office?
A: I don’t know how to answer that question. I mean, from an agent standpoint, we didn’t do anything wrong. We followed directions based on other people telling us what to do.
Q: And you ultimately followed directions from Washington; is that correct?
A: If direction had come down from Washington, yes.
Q: But with respect to the particular scrutiny that was given to Tea Party applications, those directions emanated from Washington; is that right?
A: I believe so.
The claim that “rogue agents” came up with the Be On the Lookout (BOLO) list never made any sense. The claim that “rogue agents” came up with the many detailed questions that conservative groups were subjected to never made any sense. The claim that “rogue agents” would come up with so much extra work for themselves, outside their normal responsibilities and outside their union contract, never made any sense. Getting unionized workers to do extra work requires the union’s buy-in. Getting bureaucrats to do extra work requires orders from their superiors. That’s how government works.
The IRS itself has blown Lerner’s story apart, saying that as many 88 employees are being looked at. The agency is still evidently trying to contain the scandal to its lower ranks, but the deposed IRS agents say they were following orders from those above them.
Q: Did anyone else ever make a request that you send any cases to Washington?
A: [Different IRS employee] wanted to have two cases that she couldn’t ‑‑ Washington, D.C. wanted them, but she couldn’t find the paper. So she requested me, through an email, to find these cases for her and to send them to Washington, D.C.
Q: When was this, what time frame?
A: I don’t recall the time frame, maybe May of 2010.******
Q: But just to be clear, she told you the specific names of these applicants.
A: Yes.
Q: And she told you that Washington, D.C. had requested these two specific applications be sent to D.C.
A: Yes, or parts of them.******
Q: Okay. So she asked you to send particular parts of these applications.
A: Mm‑hmm.
Q: And that was unusual. Did you say that?
A: Yes.
Q: And she indicated that Washington had requested these specific parts of these specific applications; is that right?
A: Correct.
Congress has a ways to go to prove this, and it needs to stay focused on getting at the truth before jumping to any conclusions in public, but the nature of the questions the IRS asked of its targeted groups read like political opposition research — in other words, political campaign activity. Someone was digging for deep ideological, organizational and membership information on these groups that opposed Obama agenda. “Rogue agents” who are career government workers are not going to come up with questions like that on their own, but someone who bounced back and forth between the Obama campaign and his White House might. Several Obama confidants did that, including David Axelrod and Bob Bauer. Keep that in mind when Axelrod opines on the subject: He may have been involved in it.
Related: Former IRS Chief’s Wife Tweeted Attacks on Same Groups Her Hubby’s IRS was Attacking
So what is congress waiting for? Impeach and imprison.
the scandal that keeps on giving. unbelievable.
It looks like we’re becoming a nation of “rogue” government employees and “lone wolf” Islamic terrorists. Whadda country.
“The buck stops here!”
President Harry S. Truman (D)
I don’t want to have to deal with this rogue agency again. But that other gang of criminals in Congress, WILL NOT do a damned thing about it.
Of course they did; did anyone seriously doubt it?
It is what the marjority of voters said they wanted in two consequtive elections, My FRiend. They wanted it. They got it. now let them enjoy it. I won’, but I did bot vote for the sobs that are now in power.
Government for the government at the expense of the people.
Atleast Nixon had the decency to resign.
Right... the “O” administration is a crime in progress.
It’s been like this from the beginning.
I wonder if America will EVER know know the breadth and depth of the corruption and criminal activity.
With the first two or three red flags, giving “O” and his creatures a pass is one thing... but, on into multiples of red flags (all ocurring or becoming public simultaneously) it has to be difficult EVEN for “O” supporters to look at one another without a laugh or a shudder!
“...from an agent standpoint, we didn’t do anything wrong. We followed directions based on other people telling us what to do.”
In other words, “We were only following orders.” Where were the whistleblowers in the IRS???
Nothing but a bunch of spineless, gutless bureaucrats. Abolish the IRS and put all these losers out of work!!!
I’m shocked!
RE: In other words, “We were only following orders.”
Here’s a question — If a Nazi commander orders an underling to torture a Jew, and he did.... should he be punished after the war for obeying orders as a soldier?
I hope Issa is asking whether any left leaning organizations were also singled out for special treatment. Any counter claim of even handedness needs to be taken off the table.
Max Baucus was right. It IS going to get a whole lot worse.
Let’s see....
The orders were from Washington.
The IRS Commissioner visited the White House MORE OFTEN than any other secretary, official and even the Attorney General.
The IRS Commissioner’s wife works for a VERY LIBERAL group that supports DEMOCRATS.
And we’re supposed to ignore the obvious?
Nixon got into trouble for saying he wanted to use the IRS to go after his enemies (there is no evidence he actually did) and covering up for shady dealings of the CREEP and John Dean.
Obama is actually doing what Nixon just talked about and worse. I think he reads 1984 as an instruction manual.
It is a tremendous insult to Nixon to compare him to Big Bro.
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