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Republicans want to impeach IRS commish, and why that's probably a really bad idea

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House Republicans put forward resolution to impeach Commissioner John Koskinen..

House Republicans want to impeach IRS Commissioner John Koskinen for lying under oath and refusing to comply with a subpoena for evidence. However, Koskinen has just been excused by the Justice Department after they concluded an investigation into him and declined to file criminal charges. At the heart of the problem, a Republican impeachment effort could also backfire.

Highlights

By Marshall Connolly, Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
10/28/2015 (8 years ago)

Published in Politics & Policy

Keywords: Jason Chaffets, John Koskien, commissioner, IRS, hearings, impeachment, resolution, House, Congress

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Jason Chaffets (R-UT), who is the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, has put forward a resolution in the House to impeach IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, for allegedly lying under oath and refusing to comply with a subpoena for evidence. The impeachment resolution comes just as the Justice Department closes an investigation into Koskinen, declining to file any charges against him.

According to Chaffets, "Commissioner Koskinen violated the public trust." Chaffets accused Koskinen of refusing to comply with a subpoena, lying under oath, and of having documents destroyed by staff during his tenure.

You can read the resolution here (via FOX News).

"Impeachment is the appropriate tool to restore public confidence in the IRS," Chaffets said Tuesday.

Tuesday's announcement was made just as Koskinen finished testifying before the Senate Finance Committee. It also followed the closure of a Justice Department investigation that did not result in charges against the Commissioner.


The IRS has been under fire since IRS chief, Lois Learner, admitted in public that the federal agency had been targeting conservative groups for harassment.

While it is possible that Chaffets could be guilty, there seems to be little hard evidence to prove it, a common problem in corruption cases. Worse, Republicans have fared poorly in hearings and investigations. Last week, Hillary Clinton did so remarkably well during the Benghazi hearings, her poll numbers actually rose.

House Republicans have taken their anger at the Obama administration and the misdirection of our country, and ineptly turned it into embarrassment for the party. Not one single member of the Obama administration has been successfully impeached or imprisoned, even when the case against them was fairly clear. Even Lois Learner has escaped consequences for her confessed wrongdoing.

If the Republicans in Congress cannot enforce justice in cases that are as blatant as Learner's, what is to suggest they can succeed against the Clinton Crime Family, or even against the IRS Commissioner?

The problem is that we're not talking about whether or not administration officials are corrupt, for this is an open secret by now. Instead, the conversation is shifting to Republican ineptitude on Capitol Hill. Given their lackluster performance thus far, it is probably bad strategy for the Republicans to pursue new impeachment hearings in which they are more likely to injure themselves than those who deserve it.

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Deacon Keith Fournier Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. Help Now >

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