Blackburn Fights to Protect Tennesseans from Government Intimidation

Congressman Marsha Blackburn speaks out against government abuse and the targeting of conservative groups by the IRS during remarks delivered on the House floor. (November 18, 2013)

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1st District Rep. Phil Roe questions if President has authority to pick and choose which law to enforce

From a Fox News story:

The administration announced early last week that it was delaying by one year a requirement that large employers offer access to health insurance. Officials described the delay as a common-sense concession to businesses who complained the rules were too onerous, and maintained the Treasury Department was within its right.

"This action raises a lot of questions about whether the Obama administration can simply ignore the law when it's convenient for them," Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., said in a statement.

He said he's asked the Congressional Research Service to "investigate" that issue -- "because I don't think any president has the authority to pick and choose what parts of law to follow."(link)

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They're almost as bad as NES

IG: Over 1,000 IRS workers misused gov't charge cards, agency lenient on discipline 

More than 1,000 IRS employees over a two-year period misused their government credit cards, and the agency has a tendency to be overly lenient in disciplining them, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration said in a recently released audit report. (link)

That  sounds very familiar, just a larger agency with more people than the Nashville Electric Service. NES had hundreds of misused charge cards and and Amazon accounts, instead of more than 1000.  No one ever lost a job or went to jail due to malfeasance at NES and the agency was lenient on discipline. That sounds a lot like the IRS. You may have missed it. Except for Channel 5, our local media did not cover the scandal very much and the Council never took any strong action. It is not over however. The tenacious citizen activist Ken Jakes continues to seek justice. To read the comptrollers report about our own corrupt government agency, see here . For a lot more information about the NES scandal including viewing the channel 5 report follow this link. 

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video of the IRS protest in Nashville

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Three hundred protest at IRS today

I joined about three hundred other protesters today on the sidewalk in front of the Federal Court House to protest the IRS's targeting of conservative groups.  Earlier this month, the IRS admitted that the IRS had targeted groups that had the words “tea party” or “patriots” in their names for additional scrutiny.  Such additional scrutiny included asking questions such as the names of members and contributors and asking groups to explain any association with other named individuals, and asked groups to explain their activities, and online presence. There was not an equal scrutiny of liberal groups. Some groups had a delay of as much as two years before having their tax except status approved and some never did get an approval, but never did get a denial. This caused some groups to miss fundraising and grant opportunities.

This campaign of intimidation and delay in approving tax except status for conservative groups has been blamed on low-level staffers by IRS officials, although that claim is being challenged.  Few believe that low-level staffers undertook this campaign without any direction. Many believe this campaign of intimidation may be a scandal on a scale equal to the Nixon "enemies list" and may reach all of the way to the White House.

Today's events was emceed by Ken Marrero, a blogger at Blue Collar Muse and well know activist. Speakers included radio talk show host Steve Gill, Phil Valentine, and Ralph Bristol. Other speakers were Bobbie Patray of Tennessee Eagle Forum and anti-tax activist Ben Cunningham of Nashville Tea Party. Speakers called for an in-depth investigation to get to the bottom (or top) of the scandal.

Given that the protest only had a couple days of planning and advance notice, that it was in the middle of the day, that it was downtown where weekday parking is expensive and hard to find, and that there was a threat of sever thunder storms, I was impressed that so many people turned out on short notice. The bad weather held off until the conclusion of the protest and then there was a downpour.

Check back for updates.

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IRS Protest, Tuesday May 21, noon

Tea Party Patriots, 912s and several other groups are having a Nationwide protest against the IRS abuses at IRS offices across the country.

The Nashville Protest will be this Tues May 21, 12noon at 801 Broadway on the sidewalk in front of the Federal Bldg. I know this is short notice but it is an opportunity to raise our voices and protest this extraordinary abuse by our government.

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Update from Senator Bob Corker: IRS Actions Outrageous and Disturbing

In a letter Wednesday to President Barack Obama, Senator Corker joined Senate Republicans in demanding that the administration fully comply with congressional investigation requests on how the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) targeted conservative groups. The senators outlined concerns regarding conflicting responses from the nonpartisan agency and said it is imperative the administration work with Congress to restore public confidence.

Last week, Senator Corker called initial reports that the IRS inappropriately flagged conservative political groups for additional reviews “outrageous [and] disturbing.”

“As I said last year, all nonprofit organizations seeking tax-exempt status should be treated fairly and equitably by the IRS,” said Corker. “The IRS’s admission that its employees were specifically targeting conservative groups – including groups in Tennessee – is outrageous, disturbing, and will further erode Americans' trust in the federal government. Swift and decisive action should be taken to punish those responsible and to assure the American people that these actions will not be tolerated at the IRS or any other federal agency.”

Last March, Corker joined Senate colleagues in asking the IRS to treat all nonprofit groups seeking tax-exempt status fairly in the designation process. In a follow up letter last June, Corker and colleagues asked the IRS to clarify what authority allowed them to request confidential donor information from organizations applying for tax exempt status.

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Senate Democrats Block Sen. Paul’s Resolution Condemning IRS

May 15, 2013- Today, Senate Democrats placed a hold on Sen. Rand Paul's recent resolution that condemns the targeting of Tea Party groups by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and calls for an investigation into this practice.

 

"This resolution is not about Republican vs. Democrat or conservative vs. liberal. It is about arrogant and unrestrained government vs. the rule of law. The First Amendment cannot and should not be renegotiated depending on which party holds power," Sen. Paul said. "Each senator took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, yet Senate Democrats chose to block my resolution and thus refused to condemn the IRS for trampling on our First Amendment rights. I am incredibly disappointed in Washington's party politics and I am determined to hold the IRS accountable for these unjust acts."

A copy of the blocked resolution can be found HERE.

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Demand Bi-Partisan Investigative Hearings on the IRS Scandal!

There needs to be an outpouring of public outrage over the IRS attack on conservative groups.  We cannot allow the IRS to become a politicized secret police agency that goes after political opponents of the administration. Citizens of this country should not accept the line that what happened was simply the result of some over zealous low-level employees. Did this scandal reach all the way to the White House?  Also, the AP phone tapping scandal, the health care shake down, and Benghazi betrayal should be investigated. It is time for Congress to appoint a special prosecutor. I do not trust this administration to investigate itself. Below is another opportunity to sign a petition. This one is from the Tea Party Express.

From Tea Party Express:

We Demand Bi-Partisan Investigative Hearings on the IRS Scandal! Be the First to Take Action!

Tea Party and other conservative groups have been under attack from the Internal Revenue Service. Liberal bureaucrats within the agency have admittedly targeted conservative groups in an attempt to intimidate leaders and silence their efforts. This is an attack not only on conservatives, but also on all Americans who believe in an honest government. The IRS should not be able to enforce a partisan agenda of silencing political opposition and limiting our freedom of speech. It is up to us to demand accountability through Congressional bi-partisan investigative hearings.

Please take a moment to sign this petition and send it to all of your federal representatives. It should not take more than 90 seconds!  Just fill out the form and then PLEASE send it to EVERYONE you know to help us apply pressure.   Our strength is in numbers. 

Tell President Obama and Members of Congress "We want the truth!"

  

Here is what the Petition says:

Dear President Obama and Members of Congress,

The bombshell admission from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) demands your immediate and decisive action. I insist on the formation of a bi-partisan hearing in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to investigate the disgraceful actions of the IRS.

The IRS has pursued a dangerous partisan agenda that cuts into the very fabric of our nation. Our founding fathers provided checks and balances in our government in order to control the misuse of power. It is now your responsibility to exercise your check on a federal agency that has admittedly used its power to intimidate conservative groups.

We cannot allow any political ideology to threaten the integrity of our government and our freedom of speech. Please aggressively pursue justice by quickly forming Congressional hearings to identify those who are responsible and holding them accountable.

- Sign the petition here -

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Sign the petition and demand that the IRS and the Obama Administration come clean

From Republican National Committee

Rod,

Last week, the Internal Revenue Service admitted to using its power to target and harass conservative organizations.

It is an absolutely indefensible abuse of power for our federal government to target groups of citizens based on their political beliefs, and the President and his administration owe the American people answers.

Sign the petition and demand that the IRS and the Obama Administration come clean on this flagrant breach of the public trust.

Sincerely,

Mike Shields
Chief Of Staff, RNC

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Republican Governor's Association: Clean House at IRS, Appoint Special Prosecutor to Investigate

Republican Governors Association, 3/14/2013 - RGA Chairman Governor Bobby Jindal and RGA Vice Chairman Governor Scott Walker sent a letter today to President Barack Obama calling on him to clean house at the Internal Revenue Service after the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Treasury disclosed that the IRS was unfairly targeting groups – who were applying for tax-exempt status – because of their conservative political beliefs.

Letter Below
Mr. President,
We write to you today disturbed after learning that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been unfairly targeting and applying added scrutiny to applicants for tax-exempt status based on their conservative beliefs. To be blunt, this is Big Brother come to life and a witch hunt to prevent Americans from exercising their First Amendment rights.
The First Amendment gives Americans the ability to freely express their opinions regardless of their political beliefs. The actions of the IRS are an attempt to gag the voices of Americans who may disagree with the policies and left-leaning ideology of your administration. Quite frankly, this is un-American.
This is a subversion of American liberty and a secret but direct attack against the U.S. Constitution. Immediate action must be taken to ensure this never happens again. Here are two steps that should be taken:

1. Fire any and all employees responsible for this situation.
2. Appoint a Special Prosecutor now to find out if laws were broken and if anyone committed crimes.

The bottom line is that regardless of one’s political beliefs, conservatives and liberals alike must be able to exercise their First Amendment rights without fear that the federal government will abuse them for having differing opinions.

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ALG calls for special counsel to be appointed to prosecute IRS case

May 14, 2013, Fairfax, VA—Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) in a 2010 letter requested that then-Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Douglas Shulman deeply investigate 501(c) non-profit political organizations.

The letter called on Shulman to "survey major 501(c)(4), (c)(5) and (c)(6) organizations involved in political campaign activity to examine whether they are operated for the organization's intended tax exempt purpose and to ensure that political campaign activity is not the organization's primary activity" and to "to determine whether they are acting as conduits for major donors advancing their own private interests regarding legislation or political campaigns, or are providing major donors with excess benefits."

In his own letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens noted, "Considering the invasive questions the IRS was asking the targeted organizations, it appears that Sen. Baucus got exactly what he asked for, which was a witch-hunt."

Baucus' letter also instructed Shulman that "Possible violation of tax laws should be identified as you conduct this study. Please report back to the Finance Committee as soon as possible with your findings and recommended actions regarding this matter."

Baucus specifically referenced a Sept. 16, 2010 Time article, "The New GOP Money Stampede" reporting that "Democrats fear [what] could be a $300 million Republican spending blitz this year." The story detailed allegations that local tea party groups were actually "shadow Republican groups formed by longtime party officials." The article referenced the tea party, but also American Crossroads, American Action Network, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as forming a wider campaign front for the 2010 Republican election campaign effort, financed "in the form of secret undisclosed contributions."

Baucus also referenced "a group transforming itself into a non-profit under 501(c)(4) of the tax code," ensuring, as the Time article put it, that the group would "not have to publicly disclose any information about its donors." That "group" Baucus referenced was actually Crossroads GPS.

"The Time article Baucus so prominently referenced was all about the financing of Republican election efforts and right of center political and advocacy organizations," Mehrens noted in his letter, adding, "It did not scrutinize any left-wing groups. Nor did Baucus include in his letter to Shulman any footnotes to articles that detailed Democrat campaign activities or left of center groups. The implicit task was to investigate the political right from start to finish. And that's exactly what the IRS did."

Yesterday, Baucus issued a statement suggesting "Targeting groups based on their political views is not only inappropriate but it is intolerable, promising a "full investigation into this matter by the Senate Finance Committee."

But that is not possible, Mehrens said, considering Baucus' letter to Shulman. "Senate Democrats were complicit in the IRS scandal targeting the tea party and other groups, per Baucus' explicit letter to Shulman. The Senate majority must therefore recuse itself from any ensuing investigation in order to ensure that the public's trust in the inquiry's findings is not tainted."

The only good option, Mehrens wrote, was for Senate leaders to call on Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a special counsel to prosecute the case. "Just as the Senate majority cannot be trusted to investigate its own complicity in this affair, neither can the Obama Administration."

He concluded, "These targeted attacks by the IRS were not about restoring 'transparency' to our political process, they were a part of a brazen partisan assault using the instrumentalities of the state to harass political opponents and stifle dissent to achieve a partisan end. It is beyond Nixonian in its flagrant disregard for the rule of law. Only a special counsel can get to the bottom of this."

Mehrens joined others, including the Republican Governors Association, who today also demanded a special prosecutor be appointed.

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The IRS's Tea Party Scrutiny Was No Random Error

The IRS's Tea Party Scrutiny Was No Random Error 

By Howard Rich, Forbes, 5/13/2013 - Just when it appeared Washington, D.C. had become impervious to a full-blown political scandal, along comes a seismic revelation jarring Americans of all ideological moorings – one that’s placed one of the most feared (and fastest-growing) “independent” government agencies squarely on the hot seat.

Last week’s startling acknowledgement by senior staff at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the agency’s discriminatory practices against limited government groups is indeed “chilling” and “thuggish,” as a pair of moderate U.S. Senators have suggested. But it’s much more than that. In fact it’s unlikely our nation’s capital has seen anything this sinister since Richard Nixon and his infamous “Enemies List” –.....

......this was no error: It was official policy.......(read more)

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Kevin Kookogey says his group was IRS target

Kevin Kookogey, former chairman of the Williamson County Republican Party says his attempt to get tax exempt status for a conservative group he founded, Linchpins of Liberty, was held up by unreasonable and burdensome request for information and delays. Here is the story in the Tennessean.

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Corker: IRS Actions Outrageous and Disturbing, Will Further Erode Americans’ Trust in the Federal Government

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Corker, R-Tenn., made the following statement today in response to reports that the Internal Revenue Service inappropriately flagged conservative political groups for additional reviews during the 2012 election.

“As I said last year, all nonprofit organizations seeking tax-exempt status should be treated fairly and equitably by the IRS,” said Corker. “The IRS’s admission that its employees were specifically targeting conservative groups – including groups in Tennessee – is outrageous, disturbing, and will further erode Americans' trust in the federal government. Swift and decisive action should be taken to punish those responsible and to assure the American people that these actions will not be tolerated at the IRS or any other federal agency.”

Last March, Senator Corker joined Senate colleagues in asking the Internal Revenue Service to treat all nonprofit groups seeking tax-exempt status fairly in the designation process.

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Tennessee tea party groups targeted in IRS probe

WSMV Channel 4 
This is an outrage! As Ben Cunningham says, "This is not stuff you are supposed to see in a free country." 

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