The IRS Scandal, Day 567

CP Politics:  IRS Scandal a Priority for New House Oversight Committee Chair:

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, will focus on the IRS scandal as the House's new head executive watchdog. He was appointed as the next chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Tuesday.

Replacing the term-limited Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., the 47-year-old Chaffetz will now chair the committee that has been a leading force behind the House investigation into the scandal involving the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative and Christian groups. ...

Chaffetz' appointment could spell continued trouble for the IRS. Fox News reported that Chaffetz "vowed" to make the probe into the IRS's practice of stalling 501(c) tax-exempt applications of conservative and religious political action groups the "centerpiece of his chairmanship."

Along with Issa's leadership, Chaffetz has been an influential part of the Committee's IRS investigation. In the Spring, Chaffetz called for an independent special prosecutor when the IRS announced that emails from IRS Director of Exempt Organizations Unit, Lois Lerner, had been lost in a 2011 hard drive and no backup copies were made to turn over for review.

Chaffetz said he sees a pattern in the coincidental loss of evidence when it comes to federal agencies turning over documents when pressed in investigations.

"This is a recurring theme, from Fast and Furious, right down to Benghazi and now this IRS. It's the same basic drumbeat," Chaffetz told Sean Hannity earlier this year. "I think they are trying to play out the clock."

Numerous conservative political groups have accused the IRS of stalling their tax-exempt applications for political reasons. When a political action group does not receive tax-exempt status, potential donors can not be guaranteed that their donations will be eligible for tax write-offs. The IRS' stalling of the applications has cost groups thousands in donations and grants, while other groups have have not been able to survive. A communications director for a Texas-based conservative group told the Christian Post in October that the IRS's stalling cost his group $80,000 in donations and grants.

"The IRS, more than anybody else, cannot be a political organization. But is what it looks like it is has been like lately," Chaffetz told Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo in June. ...

The House Ways and Means Committee, which is also involved in the IRS investigation, will also have a new chair as Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., was appointed as the committee's chairman on Tuesday. In a statement, Ryan said his committee will work to "hold the IRS accountable."

• The IRS Scandal, Day 566 (Nov. 26, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 565 (Nov. 25, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 564 (Nov 24, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 563 (Nov. 23, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 562 (Nov. 22, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 561 (Nov. 21, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 560 (Nov. 20, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 559 (Nov. 19, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 558 (Nov. 18, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 557 (Nov. 17, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 556 (Nov. 16, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 555 (Nov. 15, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 554 (Nov. 14, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 553 (Nov. 13, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 552 (Nov. 12, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 551 (Nov. 11, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 550 (Nov. 10, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 549 (Nov. 9, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 548 (Nov. 8, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 547 (Nov. 7, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 546 (Nov. 6, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 545 (Nov. 5, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 544 (Nov. 4, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 543 (Nov. 3, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 542 (Nov. 2, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 541 (Nov. 1, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 540 (Oct. 31, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 539 (Oct. 30, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 538 (Oct. 29, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 537 (Oct. 28, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 536 (Oct. 27, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 535 (Oct. 26, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 534 (Oct. 25, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 533 (Oct. 24, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 532 (Oct. 23, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 531 (Oct. 22, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 530 (Oct. 21, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 529 (Oct. 20, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 528 (Oct. 19, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 527 (Oct. 18, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 526 (Oct. 17, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 525 (Oct. 16, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 524 (Oct. 15, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 523 (Oct. 14, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 522 (Oct. 13, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 521 (Oct. 12, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 520 (Oct. 11, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 519 (Oct. 10, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 518 (Oct. 9, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 517 (Oct. 8, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 516 (Oct. 7, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 515 (Oct. 6, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 514 (Oct. 5, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 513 (Oct. 4, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 512 (Oct. 3, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 511 (Oct. 2, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 510 (Oct. 1, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 509 (Sept. 30, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 508 (Sept. 29, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 507 (Sept. 28, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 506 (Sept. 27, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 505 (Sept. 26, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 504 (Sept. 25, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 503 (Sept. 24, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 502 (Sept. 23, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 501 (Sept. 22, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 401-500 (June 14, 2014 - Sept. 21,2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 301-400 (Mar. 6, 2014 - June 13, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 201-300 (Nov. 26, 2013 - Mar. 5, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 101-200 (Aug. 18, 2013 - Nov. 25, 2013)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 1-100 (May 10, 2013 - Aug. 17, 2013)