IRS Scandal

[tpeichel]

When people like Alex claim that the IRS did nothing wrong, remember that the next time they try claim that they support freedom and liberty, If you can't see how wrong this is, I don't know what to say.

But the most important IRS story came not from the hearings but from Mike Huckabee's program on Fox News Channel. He interviewed and told the story of Catherine Engelbrecht—a nice woman, a citizen, an American. She and her husband live in Richmond, Texas. They have a small manufacturing business. In the past few years she became interested in public policy and founded two groups, King Street Patriots, and True the Vote.
In July 2010 she sent applications to the IRS for tax-exempt status. What followed was not the harassment, intrusiveness and delay we're now used to hearing of. The US government came down on her with full force.

In December 2010 the FBI came to ask about a person who'd attended a King Street Patriots function. In January 2011 the FBI had more questions. The same month the IRS audited her business tax returns. In May 2011 the FBI called again for a general inquiry about King Street Patriots. In June 2011 Engelbrecht's personal tax returns were audited and the FBI called again. In October 2011 a round of questions on True the Vote. In November 2011 another call from the FBI. The next month, more questions from the FBI. In February 2012 a third round of IRS questions on True the Vote. In February 2012 a first round of questions on King Street Patriots. The same month the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms did an unscheduled audit of her business. (It had a license to make firearms but didn't make them.) In July 2012 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration did an unscheduled audit. In November 2012 more IRS questions on True the Vote. In March 2013, more questions. In April 2013 a second ATF audit.

All this because she requested tax-exempt status for a local conservative group and for one that registers voters and tries to get dead people off the rolls. Her attorney, Cleta Mitchell, who provided the timeline above, told me: "These people, they are just regular Americans. They try to get dead people off the voter rolls, you would think that they are serial killers."

[Wickabee]

Just remember to be this mad the next time the Republicans do something.

You won't remember.

[tpeichel]

Deflect all you want, it won't make things like this go away.

The recent news about the FBI’s seizure of the phone and email records of Fox News employees, including James Rosen, calls into question whether the federal government is meeting its constitutional obligation to preserve and protect a free press in the United States. We reject the government’s efforts to criminalize the pursuit of investigative journalism and falsely characterize a Fox News reporter to a Federal judge as a “co-conspirator” in a crime. I know how concerned you are because so many of you have asked me: why should the government make me afraid to use a work phone or email account to gather news or even call a friend or family member? Well, they shouldn’t have done it. The administration’s attempt to intimidate Fox News and its employees will not succeed and their excuses will stand neither the test of law, the test of decency, nor the test of time. We will not allow a climate of press intimidation, unseen since the McCarthy era, to frighten any of us away from the truth.

[JustAlex]

When people like Alex claim that the IRS did nothing wrong, remember that the next time they try claim that they support freedom and liberty,

Hilarious.

Because investigating people who openly say things like "We hate taxes" and "We want revolution" when it comes to tax matters is unacceptable.

The Tea Party put themselves in this position.

It's like the idiots who threaten the president's life online....then they get a call from the Secret Service, and they wonder why they're being investigated.

It's because you said something incredibly STUPID!

Same goes for the insipid morons that are in cahoots with the "Tea Party".....if you're going to say stupid things, you better be ready for the consequences.

[mrveggieman]

Where were all these groups that were concerned about the integrity of the elections in 2000 which GWB stole I mean won the election?

[Wickabee]

Deflect all you want, it won't make things like this go away.

The recent news about the FBI’s seizure of the phone and email records of Fox News employees, including James Rosen, calls into question whether the federal government is meeting its constitutional obligation to preserve and protect a free press in the United States. We reject the government’s efforts to criminalize the pursuit of investigative journalism and falsely characterize a Fox News reporter to a Federal judge as a “co-conspirator” in a crime. I know how concerned you are because so many of you have asked me: why should the government make me afraid to use a work phone or email account to gather news or even call a friend or family member? Well, they shouldn’t have done it. The administration’s attempt to intimidate Fox News and its employees will not succeed and their excuses will stand neither the test of law, the test of decency, nor the test of time. We will not allow a climate of press intimidation, unseen since the McCarthy era, to frighten any of us away from the truth.

No deflecion at all. Just calling out your very obvious partisan hackery. Your anger is worthless because you would not be angry if a Rep was in the WH. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it.
These rants just further prove it.

Unless you're racist, but you protested too much for that, right?

[tpeichel]

Hilarious.

Because investigating people who openly say things like "We hate taxes" and "We want revolution" when it comes to tax matters is unacceptable.

The Tea Party put themselves in this position.

It's like the idiots who threaten the president's life online....then they get a call from the Secret Service, and they wonder why they're being investigated.

It's because you said something incredibly STUPID!

Same goes for the insipid morons that are in cahoots with the "Tea Party".....if you're going to say stupid things, you better be ready for the consequences.

If the Federal Government was harassing, attacking and intimidating gay people, blacks or women you would be up in arms, but because they are going after people you don't like, conservatives, Fox News reporters and the like, you cheer on the effort.

[Wickabee]

If the Federal Government was harassing, attacking and intimidating gay people, blacks or women you would be up in arms, but because they are going after people you don't like, conservatives, Fox News reporters and the like, you cheer on the effort.

And you are up in arms because of who is after them. How are you any better again?

[tpeichel]

Ludicrous. Now you are equating a citizen criticizing the government for abusing power with the government that is doing the abuse?

Your attacks on me cannot change the fact that what happened at the IRS was horribly wrong. If you're going to defend the IRS behavior, let's see you do it without the personal attacks.

[Theodor Madison]

The problem is the government is to big! This includes the IRS. In my opinion the Government is more of a taker than those who are supported by the government. Government should work for the people, not the other way around.