Paul L. Caron
Dean





Monday, February 2, 2015

The IRS Scandal, Day 634

IRS Logo 2New York Post, ABCs of IRS Mess: Justice Department Is Tainted, Too:

At her confirmation hearings Wednesday, Loretta Lynch said she’s only “generally aware” of the Justice Department’s investigation of IRS targeting of conservative groups.

As a service for our likely new attorney general, here’s a primer on why so many in Congress want a special counsel in the IRS case.

Under federal rules, the attorney general appoints a special counsel “when he or she determines that criminal investigation of a person or matter . . . would present a conflict of interest for the Department or other extraordinary circumstances.”

In this case, there’s both. ...

[W]e still don’t know how far up the political food chain the malfeasance goes. Among other things, investigators are still pouring through tens of thousands of e-mails uncovered months after the IRS had insisted they were lost.

But we do know the Justice Department investigation has been compromised, not least by the president announcing its conclusions before the probe is complete.

Lynch should move fast to restore an aura of independence and impartiality to the investigation by turning it over to a special counsel.

https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2015/02/the-irs-1.html

IRS News, IRS Scandal, Tax | Permalink

Comments

Mr. wodun: The LLerner-Criminal Division emails show that the Criminal Division was doing its assigned job of evaluating the conduct of certain exempt orgs for which there were indications of perjury on Forms 1024. That is the job of the Criminal Division. Before the Criminal Division imprisons anyone, there is a major hurdle to clear--a federal district court. In this case, the Criminal Division apparently concluded that there were no prosecutable cases. Cases closed. Job done. The system worked as it is designed to work.

Now, what are you writing about with "[t]he DOJ also went after other people on Obama's enemies list like Fox News?"

Posted by: Publius Novus | Feb 3, 2015 9:14:32 AM

The emails show the DOJ was in talks with Lerner to imprison people off Obama's enemies list in order to intimidate American citizens from participating in our Democracy the way Democrats do.

The DOJ also went after other people on Obama's enemies list like Fox News.

There is little reason to think that the DOJ, who acted as a willing weapon of the administration, will be any way impartial in its investigation.

Posted by: wodun | Feb 2, 2015 2:29:13 PM