Bad news for White House sycophants: according to Rep. Darrell Issa, not only did the Obama administration not learn about the IRS targeting conservatives from the news, but it may have played a role in directing the IRS’ actions.
In advance of Thursday’s House hearing on IRS spending, Issa has released transcripts from Oversight Committee interviews with “low-level” Cincinnati IRS employees. The witnesses’ statements point to a coordinated effort between the White House and the IRS to go after conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status.
Oof. This is pretty damning: http://t.co/kkdik88T58 #IRS
— Eric H. (@ericinva) June 3, 2013
Unsurprising but holeee cow. RT @EdMorrissey: Transcripts: IRS targeting deliberate and political http://t.co/faNTJH7TGN
— Melissa Mackenzie (@MelissaTweets) June 3, 2013
Cincinnati IRS employee: I believe orders to target came from Washington. So much for "low-level." http://t.co/q2kw26r6k1 #IRS @EdMorrissey
— Razor (@hale_razor) June 3, 2013
From the House Oversight Committee’s press release:
Q: So is it your perspective that ultimately the responsible parties for the decisions that were reported by the IG are not in the Cincinnati office?
A: I don’t know how to answer that question. I mean, from an agent standpoint, we didn’t do anything wrong. We followed directions based on other people telling us what to do.
Q: And you ultimately followed directions from Washington; is that correct?
A: If direction had come down from Washington, yes.
Q: But with respect to the particular scrutiny that was given to Tea Party applications, those directions emanated from Washington; is that right?
A: I believe so.
#Issa said on CNN. "When in fact the indication is they were directly being ordered from (the IRS in) Washington."
— ANNA RAND (@OBAMA_CZAR) June 3, 2013
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Testimony also suggests the unlikelihood that the IRS’ actions were carried out by a couple of “rogue” agents:
Q: So what do you think about this, that allegation has been made, I think as you have seen in lots of press reports, that there were two rogue agents in Cincinnati that are sort of responsible for all of the issues that we have been talking about today. What do you think about those allegations?
[…]
A: It’s impossible. As an agent we are controlled by many, many people. We have to submit many, many reports. So the chance of two agents being rogue and doing things like that could never happen.
This is echoed in Friday’s CNN report that there may be at least 88 IRS employees involved in the scandal.
The #IRS's targeting of Tea Party groups was not just a few "rogue agents" in the Cincinnati office, as IRS and #Obama have insisted
— ANNA RAND (@OBAMA_CZAR) June 3, 2013
"As late as last week, the (Obama) administration's still trying to say there's a few rogue agents in Cincinnati," Issa said on CNN.
— ANNA RAND (@OBAMA_CZAR) June 3, 2013
More damning testimony suggests what many of us have long suspected: that “low-level” IRS employees are being set up as scapegoats to protect the guilty parties in Washington who are pulling the strings:
Q: And you’ve heard, I’m sure, news reports about individuals here in Washington saying this is a problem that was originated in and contained in the Cincinnati office, and that it was the Cincinnati office that was at fault. What is your reaction to those types of stories?
[…]
A: Well, it’s hard to answer the question because in my mind I still hear people saying we were low‑level employees, so we were lower than dirt, according to people in D.C. So, take it for what it is. They were basically throwing us underneath the bus.
As we reported earlier, Obama henchman David Plouffe is desperately trying to run interference for Washington by going after Issa for pursuing the truth about the IRS scandal.
https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/341537338008158209
Obama hack bringing up 40-year-old charge to smear Issa = confirmation IRS scandal goes all the way to White House.
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) June 3, 2013
And media lapdogs are dutifully lamenting the investigations as “overreach” and directing their outrage at Issa.
But while they’re busy spinning, feverishly throwing darts at a wall of blame, citizens are keeping their eyes open to true government overreach.
Trying to smear Issa after the IRS apologized for targeting conservatives, and Lerner took the Fifth, is overreach.
— Rachel (@esqcapades) June 3, 2013
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