Hearing Wrap Up: House Judiciary Committee Examines Misconduct by IRS Commissioner

Washington, D.C.  – The House Judiciary Committee today held a hearing on “Examining the Allegations of Misconduct Against IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, Part I.” At the hearing, members of the House Judiciary Committee examined the findings of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s investigation of IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. Background:

• In May 2013, the American people first learned that the IRS had been singling out conservative groups for heightened review as they applied for tax exempt status. Conservative groups across the nation were impacted by this targeting, resulting in lengthy paperwork requirements, overly burdensome information requests, and long, unwarranted delays in their applications. In the wake of this scandal, then-IRS official Louis Lerner stepped down from her position.
• President Obama appointed John Koskinen as Commissioner of the IRS at the end of 2013.
• The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has investigated the targeting of conservative groups for several years and several of its members have alleged that Commissioner Koskinen failed to comply with a congressional subpoena which resulted in destruction of key evidence, made false statements during his sworn congressional testimony, and did not notify Congress that Lois Lerner’s emails were missing for months.
• Over the past several months, the House Judiciary Committee has meticulously poured through thousands of pages of information produced by the investigation into this matter, resulting in today’s hearing.
• House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Congressman Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) testified before the House Judiciary Committee on the findings of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s investigation.
• The House Judiciary Committee invited IRS Commissioner Koskinen to testify but he chose not to come at this time and publicly defend himself.

Key Videos:House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte’s opening statement: “The Constitution sets forth a system of checks and balances which grants each branch of government tools to ensure that no one branch of government attains too much power … The duty to serve as a check on the other branches, including against corruption and abuse, is a solemn one and Congress does not and must not take this responsibility lightly. That is why this committee has scheduled the hearing today.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfl427X3UgU House Oversight and Government Reform Jason Chaffetz’s opening statement: “Commissioner Koskinen failed to comply with a congressional subpoena and allowed Lois Lerner’s emails to be destroyed. Mr. Koskinen prevented Congress—and the American people—from ever learning exactly how and why their First Amendment rights were violated.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXKvojnl2xU&feature=youtu.be Congressman Ron DeSantis’ opening statement: “It would be unthinkable for a taxpayer to treat an IRS audit the way that the IRS has treated the congressional investigation. If a taxpayer destroyed documents subject to a summons by the IRS, the taxpayer would be in a world of hurt. If a taxpayer made false statements to the IRS in response to an investigation, it is safe to say that the taxpayer would not get away with it. If the taxpayer shirked basic compliance with an IRS investigation, it’s a good bet that the investigation would not simply end.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nMJRmBOSE&feature=youtu.be Next Step: In June, members of the House Judiciary Committee will hold a second hearing with outside experts to comment on the findings presented at today’s hearing and whether further congressional action is warranted. Witnesses for the hearing in June will be announced at a later date. ###