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The Truth Behind The News
Susanne Posel
Occupy Corporatism
June 5, 2013
At the House Ways and Means Committee (HWMC) hearing this week, victims of the targeting by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) were able to speak and have their experience heard on Capitol Hill.
Kevin Kookogey, president of Linchpins for Liberty (LFL) told the HWMC: “For two-and-[a]-half years, the IRS has unlawfully delayed and obstructed my applications for determination of tax-exempt status by using unconstitutional criteria.”
John Eastman, chairman for the National Organization for Marriage (NOA) recalled :“You can imagine our shock and disgust over this.”
The NOA was “stonewalled” after several attempts to gain a tax-exempt status by the IRS because the group opposes same-sex marriages.
House Representative Dave Camp, chairman of the HWMC said : “While we might not know why this happened, please be assured that learning firsthand from you about how the IRS used the tax code to intimate and harass you will help us take the steps necessary to make sure this never happens again.”
Camp explained: “Today’s witnesses will help this committee and the American people better understand just how far off track the IRS has gone. Victims included Tea Party and non-Tea Party groups, 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations and 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, including religious organizations. All of the witnesses received onerous and intrusive questionnaires from IRS agents across the country. Some even had their confidential information leaked by the IRS to the media, which can have the impact of chilling free speech.”
Applause was heard after Camp’s comment : “We know that Americans were affected by the culture of political intimidation and discrimination that was cultivated by this targeting. At its core, this investigation is about how and why the IRS was empowered and allowed to use a broken tax code to abuse individuals based on their beliefs – and seemingly only based on their beliefs.”
Becky Gerritson, president of the Wetumpka Tea Party pleaded: “I am a born-free, American woman … and I’m telling my government that you have forgotten your place. It is not your responsibility to look out for my well-being or monitor my speech.”
Daniel Werfel appointed acting director of the IRS wants to direct attention to building up the reputation of the IRS through review of “broad spectrum operations” and placing new leadership at “critical levels”.
Werfel promised to fix these problems “permanently” and bring the IRS to an acceptable level of transparency “with the American people.”
At the hearing, Werfel said : “The use of certain political labels to determine how applications would be handled resulted in applications being inappropriately singled out for additional scrutiny. Moreover, there was a fundamental failure by IRS management to prevent this inconsistent treatment and insure that it was halted once management became aware.”
House Representative Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee (OGRC) will be exposing the gluttony of the IRS by speaking with Faris Fink, the man who played “Spock” in the Star Trek spoof made by the IRS with taxpayers money.
Issa wants to discuss the IRS frivolous spending with Fink, Werfel and J. Russell George, chief watchdog for the treasury inspector for the Tax Administration.
The ORGC hearing will focus on conference spending to the tune of millions of taxpayer’s dollars.
In fact, at the conference in question, $4.1 million was spent on luxury suites, gifts for the 2,600 attendees and the keynote speaker.
Werfel assured that this type of over-the-top spending on a conference “would not take place today” and Americans “should take comfort” in that fact.
It was determined that the extravagant amenities given to the IRS at the conference were requested as such with no regard to cost.
The post Susanne Posel.