Congress Conspiracy Theory

House GOP Draft Resolution to Impeach the IRS Commissioner Over a Conspiracy Theory

Written by SK Ashby

House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz and more than a dozen co-signers have drafted a resolution to impeach IRS commissioner John Koskinen for what, as far as I can tell, is a conspiracy theory.

You can read the full resolution here but this seems to be the crux of their argument.

On August 2, 2013, the Committee on Oversight and Government Re-form of the House of Representatives issued a subpoena to Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew, the custodian of Internal Revenue Service documents. That subpoena demanded, among other things, ‘‘[a]ll communications sent or received by Lois Lerner, from January 1, 2009, to August 2, 2013’’.

[...]

On March 4, 2014, Internal Revenue Service employees in Martinsburg, West Virginia, magnetically erased 422 backup tapes, destroying as many as 24,000 of Lois Lerner’s emails responsive to the subpoena. This action impeded congressional investigations into the Internal Revenue Service targeting of Americans based on their political affiliation. The American people may never know the true culpability or extent of the Internal Revenue Service targeting because of the destruction of evidence that took place.

The GOP theory appears to be that IRS commissioner Koskinen ordered an employee in West Virginia to erase emails that may or may not have revealed a criminal conspiracy of some description.

The Department of Justice recently concluded its investigation of Lois Lerner and did not find evidence of criminal activity however the department was critical of her professionalism or a lack thereof.

The Oversight Committee's allegation that Koskinen intentionally withheld evidence of criminal activity from the committee is another conspiracy theory within a conspiracy theory.

This fake scandal was based on a conspiracy theory from the very start. Republicans alleged that the IRS singled out and more severely scrutinized conservative organizations applying for non-profit status, however no conservative organizations were ultimately denied tax-exempt status and, as we later found out, the IRS scrutinized liberal groups more than conservatives.

Personally I would call it common sense to take a closer look at a group called Citizens Against Taxes Because Fuck You, but I digress.

House Republicans are impeaching the IRS commissioner near the end of 2015 because some random employee in West Virginia erased ancient, dusty data tapes in 2014. And I don't believe the timing is a coincidence.

House Republicans clearly aren't satisfied with the results of the Justice Department investigation and they're taking these steps to fashion their own punishment.

The list of lawmakers who've co-signed the resolution includes senior leaders of the Flying Monkey Freedom Caucus.

Ron DeSantis (FL-06)
Paul A. Gosar (AZ-04)
Scott DesJarlais (R-TN)
Blake Farenthold (TX-27)
Tim Walberg (MI-07)
Jody Hice (GA-10)
Gary Palmer (AL-06)
Mark Walker (NC-06)
Mick Mulvaney (SC-05)
Jim Jordan (OH-04)
Steve Russell (OK-05)
Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01)
Glenn Grothman (WI-06)
Cynthia M. Lummis (WY-AL)
Will Hurd (TX-23)
Justin Amash (MI-03)
Michael R. Turner (OH-10)
Thomas Massie (KY-04)