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Landmark Files Justice Complaint Over IRS Release of KPMG Taxpayer Names
Landmark Legal Foundation ^ | 7/23/02

Posted on 07/23/2002 12:38:06 PM PDT by wcdukenfield

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 23, 2002

Contact: Eric Christensen
703-689-2370

Landmark Files Complaint With
Office Of Professional Responsibility
Requesting Investigation of Justice Department
Attorneys Who Released Names Of Taxpayers

(Herndon, Virginia) Landmark Legal Foundation filed a formal complaint today with the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility (“OPR”) requesting an immediate investigation into the conduct of the government lawyers responsible for disclosing the identities of scores of taxpayers in public court filings. (United States v. KPMG LLP.) Landmark contends that the Tax Division attorneys responsible for the release of the taxpayers’ identities did so in contravention of Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code, relevant IRS regulations, and Justice Department guidelines.

Among the taxpayers identified by the Tax Division attorneys is William E. Simon, Jr., the Republican gubernatorial candidate in California. The lead Tax Division attorney challenging KPMG’s tax shelter advice is Stuart D. Gibson -- a Democratic Party activist in Virginia.

Mark R. Levin, Landmark’s president, declared: “The IRS is disputing KPMG’s tax advice to certain of its clients. The public release of the taxpayers’ identities was not only gratuitous, but likely unlawful. It’s critical that the IRS and Justice Department keep taxpayer information confidential and avoid even the appearance of political partisanship. OPR must take immediate steps to reassure the public that it will comply with taxpayer privacy rights.”

Landmark litigated against the IRS for 5 years for information about politically motivated audits against non-profit organizations. The IRS and the Tax Division insisted in that litigation that federal law prohibited the release of any tax return information, including the identity of third parties requesting audits of non-profit organizations and the identity of the targeted organizations.

Levin added: “The IRS can’t have it both ways. Either there are broad protections of privacy or there are not. It is not free to abuse those protections when it serves its purposes and to intimidate taxpayers.”

Landmark is a public interest legal group with offices in Herndon, Virginia and Kansas City, Missouri.

Landmark’s OPR complaint is posted on its website:www.landmarklegal.org. Landmark is a public interest legal group with offices in Herndon, Virginia and Kansas City, Missouri.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Constitution/Conservatism; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; Unclassified
KEYWORDS: irs; justicedepartment; kpmg; landmark; levin; simon
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To: wcdukenfield
Eliminate the IRS by abolishing the income tax code and replacing it with a national sales tax.

Once we get our whole paycheck with no federal deductions, we'll NEVER go back to withholding or any income tax.

Sales tax info.

21 posted on 07/23/2002 1:32:37 PM PDT by Principled
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To: Dog Gone
As a matter of fact, they don't.

Semantics.. they are your specialty, aren't they? These people work for Ashcroft, who works for Bush. Period. Ashcroft can tell them what to do and what not to do. Period. Notice, however that Bush and Ashcroft still allow the bureucratic left free reign. What's up with that, HMMMMMM?!

PS: Lame attempts to cite union protections, etc won't fly.

22 posted on 07/23/2002 1:34:28 PM PDT by HalfIrish
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To: FreedominJesusChrist
Do you think that Larry can command the way the court system works too?

No, I think he is responsible for selecting cases with a better chance of successful completion.

23 posted on 07/23/2002 1:35:24 PM PDT by Carry_Okie
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To: Carry_Okie
Well you know what? Tell that to Linda Tripp, or other brave whistleblowers to which they had no where else to turn to for help.

Tell that to the innocent shareholder(s) who were scammed by big corporations like Loral or Halliburton, who are all too used to be held unaccountable for their irresponsible actions.

24 posted on 07/23/2002 1:37:22 PM PDT by FreedominJesusChrist
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To: FreedominJesusChrist
You have to admit that the longer it takes Klayman to bring these cases to a successful end, the more it looks like he's nothing but a safety valve for the anti-Constitutionalists. Either as a useful idiot or a player on their team.
25 posted on 07/23/2002 1:47:22 PM PDT by HalfIrish
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To: HalfIrish
Well, most lawyers wouldn't dare to take on many of the cases that Klayman has.

By the way, it's nice seeing you around.

26 posted on 07/23/2002 1:48:57 PM PDT by FreedominJesusChrist
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To: FreedominJesusChrist
Tell that to Linda Tripp, or other brave whistleblowers to which they had no where else to turn to for help.

Last time I heard, Linda Tripp wasn't doing so well.

Tell that to the innocent shareholder(s) who were scammed by big corporations like Loral or Halliburton, who are all too used to be held unaccountable for their irresponsible actions.

I have serious doubts whether Klayman will hold those executives accountable, and there is no shortage of lawyers willing to take a winnable case for a shareholders' suit. So far, it looks to me like most people Klayman prosecutes get to skate.

27 posted on 07/23/2002 1:52:54 PM PDT by Carry_Okie
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To: HalfIrish
Oh man, that is really weak. I suppose you think that every federal employee clears each action in advance with the White House, or at least John Ashcroft.

These are career bureaucrats, at least one of whom is a Democrat activist. Because of civil service protection, which you apparently cherish, the Bush Administration couldn't have replaced these people if they tried, at least not until they broke the rules here.

Trying to blame Bush and Ashcroft for their actions, when they obviously would have disapproved of it had they known about it, is absurd.

Find something else to bash Bush over, because this one isn't it.

28 posted on 07/23/2002 2:00:16 PM PDT by Dog Gone
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To: holdonnow
Go Mark go!!
29 posted on 07/23/2002 2:16:24 PM PDT by MaeWest
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To: FreedominJesusChrist
The reason that Landmark Legal doesn't take on the type of cases that JW is that Landmark Legal has integrity and is not out for publicity and donations from people that cannot afford to give.

Mark Levin has more integrity in his little finger than Klayman has in his whole body!
30 posted on 07/23/2002 2:37:49 PM PDT by PhiKapMom
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To: Dog Gone
Gee, the master strategist Bush is stymied? How awful.

They damn well CAN do something. If bureaucratic protection is so strong, why didn't conservative bureaucrats stick it to Bill and Hill? Because they knew there are ways around the roadblocks, that's why. Self-protection was their agenda and protecting America should be Bush's agenda. Apparently, Bush thinks nothing is worth fighting for.

31 posted on 07/23/2002 4:30:18 PM PDT by HalfIrish
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To: Dog Gone
Just one example of something Bush could do:

Spell out the policy and instruct the lawyers to adhere to it. Wow, that was hard! If he has to go through the agency head, so be it. It can still be his call. The worst they could do to fight back is tie it up with some red tape that any "master strategist" of Bush's caliber could easily unravel.

32 posted on 07/23/2002 4:39:35 PM PDT by HalfIrish
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To: PhiKapMom
"The reason that Landmark Legal doesn't take on the type of cases that JW is that Landmark Legal has integrity and is not out for publicity and donations from people that cannot afford to give."

Or perhaps maybe it is because Landmark Legal takes on totally different cases than Judicial Watch does.

Landmark Legal has taken on a lot of cases concerning public schools and vouchers lately, which is a subject that does not fall under the mission of Judicial Watch.

Judicial Watch will take on any case concerning government corruption and fraud, regardless of party affiliation--and that is what I appreciate about them and Klayman.

The fact is, that because Judicial Watch has challenged some of the unethical tactics of the Bush Administration lately, Judicial Watch has become an anathema to you people. This just proves that both major parties are full of hypocrites and that Judicial Watch is being as non-partisan as they have always claimed to be.

Mark Levin has more integrity in his little finger than Klayman has in his whole body!

Next time I need a homing device for integrity, I will just call on you.

33 posted on 07/23/2002 4:55:07 PM PDT by FreedominJesusChrist
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To: Carry_Okie
"I have serious doubts whether Klayman will hold those executives accountable, and there is no shortage of lawyers willing to take a winnable case for a shareholders' suit. So far, it looks to me like most people Klayman prosecutes get to skate."

Well the good thing about this current Judicial Watch civil suit, is that the SEC is investigating Halliburton too. If the SEC finds Halliburton guilty of any sort of financial fraud, it will only further legitimize Judicial Watch's case in court.

Klayman is being smart with the planning of this case and this further illustrates his legal expertise.

34 posted on 07/23/2002 4:58:04 PM PDT by FreedominJesusChrist
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To: wcdukenfield; MarkL
I believe Levin is also a Freeper?
35 posted on 07/23/2002 4:58:52 PM PDT by FreedominJesusChrist
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To: Dog Gone
"Because of civil service protection, which you apparently cherish, the Bush Administration couldn't have replaced these people if they tried, at least not until they broke the rules here."

Didn't Bill Clinton fire all 93 U.S. Attorneys when he came to office?

Seems to me that I remember Bob Barr ranting and raving over this one.

36 posted on 07/23/2002 5:00:32 PM PDT by FreedominJesusChrist
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To: FreedominJesusChrist
Yes he is a freeper...."holdonnow" is his FR Name...not MarkL...
37 posted on 07/23/2002 5:06:10 PM PDT by Neets
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To: OneidaM
Thanks for the clarification. I was making a wild guess, which turned out to be incorrect.
38 posted on 07/23/2002 5:14:35 PM PDT by FreedominJesusChrist
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To: HalfIrish
"You have to admit that the longer it takes Klayman to bring these cases to a successful end, the more it looks like he's nothing but a safety valve for the anti-Constitutionalists. Either as a useful idiot or a player on their team."

With the types of high-profile cases that Judicial Watch takes on, these cases will not be solved in a matter of months.

Didn't this article state that it took Landmark Legal 5 years to get this done? Well, that is a lot less time that people here will give Klayman, mainly because Klayman is holding the Bush Administration to the sams standard as the Clinton Administration.

People in general, do not like either accountability or consistency.

39 posted on 07/23/2002 5:19:59 PM PDT by FreedominJesusChrist
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To: FreedominJesusChrist
I believe Levin is also a Freeper?

I really don't know. Some people have assumed that I'm Mark Levin (F. Lee Levin, according to Rush), but I'm not him...

Mark (a different Mark L.)

40 posted on 07/23/2002 6:58:25 PM PDT by MarkL
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