Posted on 04/09/2014 4:07:41 PM PDT by markomalley
This story was published at 4:33 p.m. and has been updated with a response from Rep. Cummings.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., has accused the panel's top Democrat of prompting the Internal Revenue Service in 2012 to target a conservative organization applying for non-profit status.
Issa said records obtained last week from the IRS show communications from the office of ranking member Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., about True the Vote, a Texas-based, non-profit conservative group that aims to prevent voter fraud.
The communications at one point involved Lois Lerner, the ex-IRS official whom Issa's panel is poised to hold in contempt of Congress on Thursday for refusing to provide testimony about her involvement in targeting conservative groups.
“The IRS and the Oversight Minority made numerous requests for virtually identical information from True the Vote, raising concerns that the IRS improperly shared protected taxpayer information with Rep. Cummings’ staff,” a statement from the Oversight panel reads.
According to Issa, Cummings and his staff sought “copies of all training materials used for volunteers, affiliates, or other entities,” from True the Vote.
Five days after the Cummings inquiry, the IRS sent True the Vote an email requesting “a copy of [True the Vote’s] volunteer registration form,” “… the process you use to assign volunteers,” “how you keep your volunteers in teams,” and “how your volunteers are deployed … following the training they receive by you.”
Issa said Cummings and his office asked for more information in January 2013 about True the Vote, this time getting Lerner involved.
At one point, an email revealed, Lerner asked her deputy, “Did we find anything?”
When the deputy said she had not received any new information, Lerner responded, “thanks – check tomorrow please.”
Issa said Cummings had previously denied asking the IRS about True the Vote.
At a February subcommittee hearing, when Issa asked whether his office may have put True the Vote “on the radar screen” of the IRS, Cummings said the accusation was “absolutely incorrect and untrue.”
Issa and other GOP panel members have sent a letter to Cummings, asking him to respond to the newly uncovered emails.
In his response, Cummings said the GOP has falsely accused him of wrongly contacting the IRS about True the Vote. Cummings said in the letter that he has publicly stated his interest in finding more about True the Vote, which supports voter ID laws that Cummings opposes.
Cummings said in his letter that his inquiries were appropriate and did not violate any rules. His requests, Cummings added, were for publicly available information.
Cummings said the letter from Issa and others Republicans is "a desperate attempt to shift the focus on tomorrow's contempt vote away from the serious Constitutional deficiencies in these proceedings."
ARREST THIS THUG!!!!!!!!!
So Cummings is the designated fall guy for BOTH dems/GOP persecuting Americans based on political and religious beliefs.
They all belong in prison.
The stench of this is more pervasive than the smog in Bejing. The “Progressives” are up to their upturned noses in this travesty. Its only the fact that Holder and his “Just Us” department are in power that is keeping them from the gray bar experience.
I would think the current REGIME is the worst, most corrupt, treasonous, criminal government America has ever had. Originally I was going to limit the scope of my comments to the subject of the article, but, the underlying common thread is so overwhelming. Worst part? Every criminal act threads back to that assclown ghazi, anti american, BO!
It is okay for Cummings to make these inquiries of the IRS out of political motivation and to squelch efforts to reduce voter fraud. He honestly is righteous in this pursuit . . . in his own mind, of which he is master.
No, Elijah. After Lerner is dealt with, look for your sorry ass to be hauled before Ethics.
Sure, it's small beer. But, it's the process we have.
Ah yes, I see yet another instance of prosecutorial discretion coming up for the DOJ. That and another multi year investigation for the ethics committee.
That certainly explains why Cummings has tried his best to stonewall the hearings and acted like such a jerk.
This is not going to sit well with Democratic house members and Senate members who were kept out of the loop.
Now it’s clear. Cummings is running interference for the ‘cult’ by proxy.
Is there not one Democrat who will stand up and say enough is enough?
They don’t call him “Bloody Hands” Cummings for nothing.
“Now it’s clear. Cummings is running interference for the ‘cult’ by proxy.”
No, Cummings is running interference based on skin color! From what I have seen thus far, Black “officials” would cover up murder for Obama & Co. They are the OJ Jury of today. Blacks are at the forefront of vote fraud. They will do anything to perpetuate it, because they know it’s the only way they have any chance at “keeping their place at the table.” Here in CA after making an alliance with the Hispanics to get both groups elected, now that they don’t need the Blacks any longer, the Hispanics have kicked them to the curb.
Cummings, Holder, Obama and most national DimocRATS are simply criminal co-conspirators with Lois Lerner and other progressive operatives scattered throughout government using the mechanics of government agencies to oppress and destroy people.
“So Cummings is the designated fall guy for BOTH dems/GOP persecuting Americans based on political and religious beliefs.”
And does anyone know why Cummings will get a pass for violating the constitutional rights of hundreds of people? It’s because he is Amish.
Because the IRS would be the appropriate entity to contact regarding public information about TTV.........your ass is grass, Cummings.
5.56mm
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