The IRS Scandal, Day 1869: In Meeting With Lois Lerner, McCain Staffer Requested 'Financially Ruinous' Audits Of Advocacy Groups

Washington Times, McCain's Office Urged IRS to Use Audits as Weapons to Destroy Political Advocacy Groups:

A new report from Judicial Watch reveals a concerted effort from Sen. John McCain’s office to urge the IRS under Lois Lerner to strike out against political advocacy groups, including tea party organizations.

Thanks to the results of an extensive Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request that has been delayed for many years, Judicial Watch has obtained several key emails from 2013 that chronicle McCain’s and Democrat Sen. Carl Levin’s efforts to reign in the advocacy groups that sprouted immediately following the Citizens United decision from the Supreme Court.

The documents uncovered by Judicial Watch include notes from a high-level meeting on April 30, 2013 between powerful members of McCain’s and Levin’s staffs and Lerner, then-director of tax exempt organizations at the IRS under Barack Obama. The notes reveal the suggestions from McCain’s former staff director and chief counsel on the Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee, Henry Kerner who urges Lerner to use IRS audits on the advocacy groups to financially ruin them:

In the full notes of an April 30 meeting, McCain’s high-ranking staffer Kerner recommends harassing non-profit groups until they are unable to continue operating. Kerner tells Lerner, Steve Miller, then chief of staff to IRS commissioner, Nikole Flax, and other IRS officials, “Maybe the solution is to audit so many that it is financially ruinous.” In response, Lerner responded that “it is her job to oversee it all:”

Henry Kerner asked how to get to the abuse of organizations claiming section 501 (c)(4) but designed to be primarily political. Lois Lerner said the system works, but not in real time. Henry Kerner noted that these organizations don’t disclose donors. Lois Lerner said that if they don’t meet the requirements, we can come in and revoke, but it doesn’t happen timely. Nan Marks said if the concern is that organizations engaging in this activity don’t disclose donors, then the system doesn’t work. Henry Kerner said that maybe the solution is to audit so many that it is financially ruinous. Nikole noted that we have budget constraints. Elise Bean suggested using the list of organizations that made independent expenditures. Lois Lerner said that it is her job to oversee it all, not just political campaign activity.

Judicial Watch previously reported on the 2013 meeting.  Senator McCain then issued a statement decrying “false reports claiming that his office was somehow involved in IRS targeting of conservative groups.”   The IRS previously blacked out the notes of the meeting but Judicial Watch found the notes among subsequent documents released by the agency.

• American Thinker, IRS Tea Party Persecutor Lois Lerner Had Help All Along
• The Federalist, Report: McCain Staffer Urged IRS To Conduct ‘Financially Ruinous’ Investigations Of Non-Profits
• PJ Media, Former Top McCain Staffer Urged Lois Lerner to Audit Non-Profits 'Until It Becomes Financially Ruinous'
• Red State, John McCain’s Staff Director Urged Lois Lerner To Use The IRS To Punish Tea Party Groups And Where Is He Now?
• WND, McCain Staffer Wanted Tea Parties Audited Until It Was 'Ruinous'
• Zero Hedge, McCain Office Involved In IRS Targeting Scandal; Pushed "Financially Ruinous" Audits Of 501(c) Orgs

Julie Tarallo, Senator McCain's communications director, calls Judicial Watch's allegations  "outlandish conspiracy theories that are totally contradicted by the facts":

• The IRS Scandal, Day 1834: Why Are We Still Arguing Over The Facts? (May 19, 2018)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1831: Johnston Says Wyland Ignores Inconvenient Facts In The IRS 'Scandal' (May 16, 2018)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1830: Johnston Says Smith Mischaracterizes The Record And Gets The Facts Of The IRS 'Scandal' Wrong (May 15, 2018)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1829: Wyland Says Johnston's Op-Ed Contains 'A Number Of Breathtaking Distortions And Omissions' (May 14, 2018)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1828: Smith Responds To Johnston's 'Ad Hominem Attack' On His WSJ Op-Ed (May 13, 2018)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1827: Johnston Calls Smith's WSJ Op-Ed A 'Breathtaking' Distortion Of The Facts (May 12, 2018)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1826: The Five Year Anniversary (May 11, 2018)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1813: Did The IRS Buy Off The Tea-Party? (Apr. 23, 2018)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 1701-1800 (Jan. 4, 2018 - Apr. 10, 2018)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 1601-1700 (Oct. 5, 2017 - Jan. 3, 2018)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 1501-1600 (June 18, 2017 - Oct. 4, 2017)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 1401-1500 (Mar. 10, 2017 - June 17, 2017)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 1301-1400 (Nov. 30, 2016 - Mar. 9, 2017)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 1201-1300 (Aug. 22, 2016 - Nov. 29, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 1101-1200 (May 14, 2016 - Aug. 21, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 1001-1100 (Feb. 4, 2016 - May 13, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 901-1000 (Oct. 27, 2015 - Feb. 3, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 801-900 (July 19, 2015 - Oct. 26, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 701-800 (April 10, 2015 - July 18, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 601-700 (Dec. 31, 2014 - April 9, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 501-600 (Sept. 22, 2014-Dec. 30, 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)