Three-quarters of U.S. voters want a special prosecutor to investigate the IRS

[CosmicCowboy]

Three-quarters of U.S. voters want a special prosecutor to investigate the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of Tea Party groups, according to a poll that showed a drop in President Barack Obama’s approval and trust ratings.
In the survey released today by Hamden, Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University, registered voters favored a special prosecutor by 76 percent to 17 percent. Those backing such a move included 63 percent of Democrats.
Enlarge image
The IRS earlier this month disclosed that it singled out groups with “tea party” or “patriot” in their names for extra scrutiny before deciding whether to grant tax-exempt status under the tax code’s Section 501(c)(4). Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
“There is overwhelming bipartisan support for an independent investigation into the IRS,” Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac polling institute, said in a news release.
The IRS earlier this month disclosed that it singled out groups with “tea party” or “patriot” in their names for extra scrutiny before deciding whether to grant tax-exempt status under the tax code’s Section 501(c)(4). That status would allow those organizations to hide their donors even when engaging in political activity. Some Democratic-leaning groups also received requests for additional information.
The IRS focus on certain groups is one of three controversies besetting Obama in the early stages of his second term. Also spurring criticism and congressional hearings are the administration’s response to the attacks last year on a U.S. outpost in Benghazi, Libya -- which killed four Americans, including the ambassador -- and the Justice Department’s seizure of telephone records of Associated Press journalists as well as the agency’s similar investigation of a Fox News reporter.
The department obtained the journalists’ records as part of probes into leaks that involved national security information.
‘Just Politics’
Voters, by 44 percent to 33 percent, said lawmakers speaking out on the IRS controversy were raising “legitimate concerns,” according to the Quinnipiac poll. At the same time, Republican-led criticism over the Benghazi attacks was dismissed as “just politics” by 43 percent, with 32 percent disagreeing.
Questions provoked by the seizure of the journalists’ records were considered “legitimate” by 37 percent of voters, with 24 percent disagreeing.
In the poll, 44 percent of voters said that investigating the IRS actions was the most important of the three matters, followed by Benghazi, 24 percent, and the search warrants for journalist records, 15 percent.
Even so, 73 percent of those surveyed said the top priority should be dealing with the economy and unemployment.
Views of Obama
The spotlight on the controversies has taken a toll on Obama’s standing. In the latest survey, 49 percent disapproved of his performance in office, with 45 percent approving. In a Quinnipiac poll released May 1, he received a 48 percent job-approval rating, with 45 percent disapproving.
Obama was judged honest and trustworthy by 49 percent in the latest poll, with 47 disagreeing. In September 2011, the last time Quinnipiac asked that question, 58 percent said Obama was honest and trustworthy and 37 percent said he wasn’t.
Earlier polls taken after the controversies erupted showed little impact on Obama. A May 16-19 ABC News/Washington Post survey gave the president a 51 percent approval rating, with 44 percent disapproving, virtually unchanged from March.
“Certainly, the negative publicity could affect the negative job approval,” Brown said. “It’s not a very big change. We don’t know whether continued airing of these controversies in the public domain will help or hurt the president’s numbers.”
Brown also said “the fact voters say 34-25 percent that the economy is getting better also may be a reason the president’s job-approval numbers have not dropped further.”
Political Parties
Sixty-eight percent of voters said they are “somewhat dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with the way things are going in the U.S.; 32 percent said they’re “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied.”
Voters expressed negative views of both major political parties, as well as the anti-tax Tea Party movement.
The Republican Party was viewed unfavorably by 50 percent of those polled, while 35 percent had a favorable opinion; for Democrats, the breakdown was 47 percent unfavorable, 42 percent favorable. The Tea Party was rated unfavorably by 38 percent, and favorably by 28 percent.
The Quinnipiac poll of 1,419 registered voters, taken May 22-28, has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.

[benefactor]

Wrong forum, richer.

[spursfan09]

Go spurs go

[exstatic]

Wrong forum, richer.

[CosmicCowboy]

oops wrong forum

[GSH]

Number 6.

[Obstructed_View]

Wrong forum.

As with all of these stats, I wonder what the fuck is wrong with the other quarter of people. It's like the fifth dentist who recommends gum with sugar in it.

[UZER]

No no no......Bob Hill was overrated.

[m33p0]

:wrongf

[Knoxxx]

Wrong forum.

As with all of these stats, I wonder what the fuck is wrong with the other quarter of people. It's like the fifth dentist who recommends gum with sugar in it.

Tea Party is a bunch of extreme idiots, why should we care what the IRS does to a group like that?

[hater]

:lmao 8 days to go :lmao

[michaelwcho]

In other news, three-quarters of US sports fans think the Spurs are boring.

[spurs1990]

Btw even if you posted on the right board, the post is completely unreadable. Not a single paragraph.

It's the definition of tl;dr. Please edit the layout of the post.

[Spurs 4 The Win]

Tea Party is a bunch of extreme idiots, why should we care what the IRS does to a group like that?

You are an uninformed moron. I guess you like those who violate the Constitution.

[hater]

btw fuck the IRS. disband those motherfuckers

they are also illegally targeting Cannabis Clinics

[SupremeGuy]

Tea Party is a bunch of extreme idiots, why should we care what the IRS does to a group like that?You sound like an ignorant bigot.

[bigfan]

please do not start posting this horseshit here

[gospursgojas]

Remember when IRS and Ted DiBiase were badass tag champs?

[Marcus Bryant]

F the IRS.

...and wrong forum.

[phxspurfan]

man, I hope the Pacers really do beat the Heat. And yes, the Heat won't grow 8 inches in one day enough to guard Hibbert.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

IRS in six, tbqh

[Obstructed_View]

Tea Party is a bunch of extreme idiots, why should we care what the IRS does to a group like that?

They're only rounding up the jews and the gypsies. Why should we care?

[Spurs21Fan4Ever]

I can't understand why Obama's approval rating isn't 0%, which it should be at.

Oh and in case if you haven't been told yet, wrong forum.

[3 Legged Dog]

Tea Party is a bunch of extreme idiots, why should we care what the IRS does to a group like that?
Fuck you, moron.

[3 Legged Dog]

You sound like an ignorant bigot.

Don't you know that liberals can never be bigots? Only people who disagree with the left can be bigots or racists or homophobes.

[3 Legged Dog]

Fuck you, moron.
Oh wait. I just realized that my comment was intolerant of morons. I apologize to any morons who might have been offended by my intolerant remark.

[Assman]

Fucking off-season.

Oh wait...

[baseline bum]

They're only rounding up the jews and the gypsies. Why should we care?

A little overboard comparing investigation of tax-exempt status to Hitler murdering the Jews, Gypsies, Communists, and Social Democrats, you think?

[ShoogarBear]

Man, haven't seen outrage like this since the IRS audited the NAACP in 2004 . . .

[BackHome]

Don't get me started on Obama Care..:bang

[cd021]

You sound like an ignorant bigot.

How is he sounding like a racist? Criticizing a political party that had been notorious for it's lack of diversity and racist elements in their party. There are clips on YouTube showing tea party members shouting racial insults including the N word at a rallies.

Blacks & Latinos tend to trend Democrat, they can easily descern thinly veiled racism.The Tea Party & Republicans strategy of essentially ignoring minorities doesn't bode well for their future.

[SupremeGuy]

How is he sounding like a racist? Criticizing a political party that had been notorious for it's lack of diversity and racist elements in their party. There are clips on YouTube showing tea party members shouting racial insults including the N word at a rallies.

Blacks & Latinos tend to trend Democrat, they can easily descern thinly veiled racism.The Tea Party & Republicans strategy of essentially ignoring minorities doesn't bode well for their future.How isn't he?


Tea Party is a bunch of extreme idiots, why should we care what the IRS does to a group like that?

You don't find it revolting that he has no problem with the IRS illegally targeting conservative groups simply because they don't share his morals or opinions? That's the very definition of being bigoted.

There are plenty of racially charged YouTube clips of NAACP members, but for some reason, I doubt that bothers you. In fact, you can actually find clips of the NAACP chairman himself claiming that there's nothing wrong with the IRS illegally targeting conservative groups. Once again, I doubt that bothers you at all.

As for the blacks and latinos that vote strictly democrat, it's a combination of a lack education and a cultural thing. Same goes for white people that strictly vote republican. I myself, am latino, and I vote based on the person and not their party.

[Budkin]

Pop regrets letting Jack go tbh

[Knoxxx]

IRS makes an easy target. However large and growing problems they face are ID theft and tax return fraud. Starving them for funding is a dumb idea because there is a large positive return in additional revenue collected per dollar spent on their budget. One of our biggest problems is people wanting free shit from the government. Free as in not paying their share aside from the outright fraud. Weakening our sole revenue collector agency only makes this problem worse.

[joeSpurs]

Investigate companies that make billions in profit and pay ZERO taxes. Investigate all those who are abusing the tax code. Close all the freaking loopholes in the tax code. Move this to the right forum ...

[Trainwreck2100]

Should a special prosecutor go after the IRS...................yes

Should it be about this tea party crap...........................no

[Trainwreck2100]

also wrong forum

[Obstructed_View]

A little overboard comparing investigation of tax-exempt status to Hitler murdering the Jews, Gypsies, Communists, and Social Democrats, you think?

And the 25% shows up right on time.

[Knoxxx]

Tea Partyers are morons with extreme, very stupid solutions. Just like all Republi-turds, their only agenda is to weaken government aside from defense. That is so they can get rich on their way to creating the next financial crisis. Defense spending is about 25% lard, but they'll take every penny and start a new war if you look at them wrong.

The only reason the Republican party even still exists is votes from one of the two Rs, rednecks and the rich. If dumbass rednecks would stop voting Repub we would not have all this gridlock in Congress. They are afraid that background checks may be required to stop crazy people from buying guns though. Duh I rest my case.

I have a great idea, let's create a whole agency just to oversee and hassle the IRS and maybe even a few other federal agencies that bother us. We'll give them about $20 billion a year to do that. Great idea, let's create some more layers of government.

How about not, how about letting the regulator do its job?

[Seventyniner]

The only reason the Republican party even still exists is votes from one of the two Rs, rednecks and the rich. If dumbass rednecks would stop voting Repub we would not have all this gridlock in Congress. They are afraid that background checks may be required to stop crazy people from buying guns though. Duh I rest my case.

I've seen what Congress does when the same party (either one) controls the House, Senate, and the White House. I'll take gridlock any day, thank you.

[Knoxxx]

Where I am coming from is the court of public opinion has been very quick to tar and feather the IRS before all the facts are known and is too anti-government in general. Lumping honest, wage-earning government workers in with Congress makes no sense either. Make no mistake, Repubs are on all out assault against government in general including the average rank and file government worker. However, to them Congress plays by different rules and is excluded from the furloughs, cuts, etc. This is an outfit that only recently made insider trading illegal for themselves, by the way. For many many decades they got rich from it.

My folks are economists with decades of experience and would not touch a Repub with a 1000-foot pole. Why? My Dad said it best. When they are in control a few people get very rich. When Dems are in control, a lot of people get a little rich.

[TVI]

I find it somewhat amusing that many of the same people who are upset about the IRS targeting of tea party groups based on profiling data which shows that people who are drawn to those organizations tend to abuse tax exempt status, are perfectly comfortable with profiling people at airports based not on voluntary involvement with a social group, but on nothing other than their race or ethnic background.

[Knoxxx]

As a white male I would have no problem being a Republi-terd if they were really doing anything good. Generally their power structure is advancing an outdated, rich, old greedy white male agenda though. Democrats to me are not a bunch of lazy Mexicans or other minorities, but rather representative of the educated middle class that is more capable of developing smart solutions to our problems. For example, the government spending issue. This calls for a scalpel not a sledge hammer. Make wrong/indiscriminate cuts, and next thing you know we either have another financial crisis (for example starving financial regulators like the SEC for funds), and/or another recession on our hands. Extreme solutions, whether too far left or right, are dumb solutions and everything I have seen from the Tea Party fits with that.

As far as the airport profiling, as soon as we find a bomb smuggled through in a turban those folks will be proven correct!

[bigfan]

Mods: Please close this bs political thread

[Spur|n|Austin]

Mods: Please close this bs political thread

Can I ask something? Why come into the thread if you don't wanna see what's inside? Makes about as much sense as humping a door knob. Some people are just gluttons for punishment I assume.

[baseline bum]

And the 25% shows up right on time.

:lol Obstructed View = Bachmann
:lol comparing taxation to the holocaust

[Spurs and Mavs fan]

Saying that people who oppose Obama are racist makes as little sense as saying that those who oppose Sarah Palin are sexist.

[Spurs and Mavs fan]

The only reason the Republican party even still exists is votes from one of the two Rs, rednecks and the rich.

Disagree. I'm Asian-American, I am neither a redneck, nor rich, and I vote Republican.

[tesseractive]

Can I ask something? Why come into the thread if you don't wanna see what's inside? Makes about as much sense as humping a door knob. Some people are just gluttons for punishment I assume.
Because it's in the Spurs Forum, where it absolutely does not belong?

[Spur|n|Austin]

Because it's in the Spurs Forum, where it absolutely does not belong?

So you have to click it and read through it? :lol

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

:lmao Obstructed View
:lmao the Michelle Bachman of Spurstalk

[cd021]

Don't you know that liberals can never be bigots? Only people who disagree with the left can be bigots or racists or homophobes.

They can be but lets be real here. Rush Limbaugh is a complete racist that isn't debatable. Republicans have opposed Gay marriage by hiding behind the bible on one issue to make themselves seem less intolerant. One of most respected African American Republicans (Colin Powell) even admitted that their were people within his own party who were making racist statements toward the president. Something that he appeared hesitant to admit.

[cd021]

Disagree. I'm Asian-American, I am neither a redneck, nor rich, and I vote Republican.

The vast majority of minorities either identify as Democrat or Independent who has voted Democrat. The Republican base consists of an overwhelming amount of Caucasians over the age of 30. Young people, and unmarried woman also tend to trend Democrat as well. Personally I'm black and wouldn't dare vote Republican for the simple fact they don't seem to even care about any one who isn't white and in upper middle class or the 1%.

[cd021]

Saying that people who oppose Obama are racist makes as little sense as saying that those who oppose Sarah Palin are sexist.

People who oppose Palin have common sense. Its hard not to think some of the hatred towards him isn't race based either consciously or subconsciously i'd suggest you google some of the hundreds or racist tweets make about Obama during his reelection. Also you can't believe that the birther movement wasn't about his race. He was obviously born in Hawaii to a Kenyan father and an Caucasian mother. Mccain was born on a Naval base in Panama if he were President there obviously wouldn't have been a need for a birther movement because he is a White.

[cd021]

As a white male I would have no problem being a Republi-terd if they were really doing anything good. Generally their power structure is advancing an outdated, rich, old greedy white male agenda though. Democrats to me are not a bunch of lazy Mexicans or other minorities, but rather representative of the educated middle class that is more capable of developing smart solutions to our problems. For example, the government spending issue. This calls for a scalpel not a sledge hammer. Make wrong/indiscriminate cuts, and next thing you know we either have another financial crisis (for example starving financial regulators like the SEC for funds), and/or another recession on our hands. Extreme solutions, whether too far left or right, are dumb solutions and everything I have seen from the Tea Party fits with that.

As far as the airport profiling, as soon as we find a bomb smuggled through in a turban those folks will be proven correct!

Who is this clown?

Yeah minorities are lazy who built this country ? and who built the rail roads? Who works for minimum wage and works twice as hard for the bare minimum? You kind of prove my points I made earlier about The Tea Party.

[Blake]

Tony Parker has hurt his shoulder.......You got to trust me on this I can't divulge my source.

[Baseline]

Fine, OP. But not until the David Stern investigation is complete.

[cd021]

How isn't he?




You don't find it revolting that he has no problem with the IRS illegally targeting conservative groups simply because they don't share his morals or opinions? That's the very definition of being bigoted.

There are plenty of racially charged YouTube clips of NAACP members, but for some reason, I doubt that bothers you. In fact, you can actually find clips of the NAACP chairman himself claiming that there's nothing wrong with the IRS illegally targeting conservative groups. Once again, I doubt that bothers you at all.

As for the blacks and latinos that vote strictly democrat, it's a combination of a lack education and a cultural thing. Same goes for white people that strictly vote republican. I myself, am latino, and I vote based on the person and not their party.




Bigot-"one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance"

As a Hispanic you should know a political party isn't an a organization who sole purpose is to advance the living of African Americans socially and economically. The Government has tried stunts to dismantle the NAACP and similar organizations in the past. The Black Panthers had member brought up on dubious charges and in some cases fabricated charges just to lock them up. Some are still in prison. The Tea Party isn't a Race or Religious & Homosexual based group. Some therefore they cannot be placed in the same category.

Blacks vote Democrat in part because Republican haven't done very much sense the 60's of improving their lives and helping them and other minority groups have a fair playing ground. Also they worship Reagan who is wildly despised against black people. Reaganomics, Aids, Cocaine all fell under his watch. If it happened under Obama's they'd be trying to execute the man at sundown. I vote for the man but Republicans don't seem to even care remotely about minorities in the slightest. As A black man I'd prefer not to be sweep to the side while they worry about the upper middle class or the 1%.

[easjer]

I'm shocked more people aren't horrified by the journalism/AP probe. That is a truly worrisome abuse of power, and one that links right back to Obama in a way the other two incidents don't. The IRS thing is awful and wrong - and most of my liberal Dem friends are outraged over it, despite wishing all the Tea Partiers would go jump off the Brooklyn Bridge in sync. But the AP probe . . . talk about a scary violation of Constitutionally protected freedoms. Way bigger than most of the proposed gun control laws, imo, and getting very little attention to the point that a minority think the questions surrounding it are important or legit. JFC - that terrifies me a little.

(and yeah, wrong forum. whatevs)

[3 Legged Dog]

They can be but lets be real here. Rush Limbaugh is a complete racist that isn't debatable. Republicans have opposed Gay marriage by hiding behind the bible on one issue to make themselves seem less intolerant. One of most respected African American Republicans (Colin Powell) even admitted that their were people within his own party who were making racist statements toward the president. Something that he appeared hesitant to admit.

Oh. I wasn't aware that you were the one who gets to decide wether or not Limbaugh being a racist is or is not debatable.

Wait. I just noticed that you've got Jimmy as your picture. Gosh. You must be right then.

[baseline bum]

I'm shocked more people aren't horrified by the journalism/AP probe. That is a truly worrisome abuse of power, and one that links right back to Obama in a way the other two incidents don't. The IRS thing is awful and wrong - and most of my liberal Dem friends are outraged over it, despite wishing all the Tea Partiers would go jump off the Brooklyn Bridge in sync. But the AP probe . . . talk about a scary violation of Constitutionally protected freedoms. Way bigger than most of the proposed gun control laws, imo, and getting very little attention to the point that a minority think the questions surrounding it are important or legit. JFC - that terrifies me a little.

(and yeah, wrong forum. whatevs)

Nothing Obama does anymore surprises me. He came in 2008 like he was going to be another FDR and instead he revealed himself as Black Bush. What's really disturbing is at least Bush was an idiot and a puppet for Cheney, but Obama is his own man; maybe better to call him Black Cheney.

[The Reckoning]

CCenile opened up a can of worms up here in the attic tbh

[313]

Who is this clown?

Yeah minorities are lazy who built this country ? and who built the rail roads? Who works for minimum wage and works twice as hard for the bare minimum? You kind of prove my points I made earlier about The Tea Party.
Classic case of not reading the whole post

[The Reckoning]

now all the gnsf getting their political forum on

:corn: this week will be entertaining

[SupremeGuy]

Holy shit, cd021 (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=36264) is insane. Either that or extremely ignorant.

[ontheraise]

the tea party is scary, bunch of morron extremist who haven't any sense of general interest.

[NRHector]

IRS in six, tbqh

I Think is a sweep they have the experience

[boutons_deux]

The Repug/Fox propaganda campaign succeeded again. There is no targeting, no "scandal", it's all pure Repug destracting, lying, slanderous bullshit.

Meanwhile, what programs and policies have the Repugs proposed to solve the country's problems?

[taps]

This thread needs more trust fund babies, racists, and tree-huggers.

[The Reckoning]

who let uncle boutons out of the basement?

[cd021]

Holy shit, cd021 (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=36264) is insane. Either that or extremely ignorant.

You're the one who didn't know the proper definition of bigotry :lmao


Classic

[byrontx]

I like the idea of having them a basketball game against each other. Great post.

[cd021]

As a white male I would have no problem being a Republi-terd if they were really doing anything good. Generally their power structure is advancing an outdated, rich, old greedy white male agenda though. Democrats to me are not a bunch of lazy Mexicans or other minorities, but rather representative of the educated middle class that is more capable of developing smart solutions to our problems. For example, the government spending issue. This calls for a scalpel not a sledge hammer. Make wrong/indiscriminate cuts, and next thing you know we either have another financial crisis (for example starving financial regulators like the SEC for funds), and/or another recession on our hands. Extreme solutions, whether too far left or right, are dumb solutions and everything I have seen from the Tea Party fits with that.

As far as the airport profiling, as soon as we find a bomb smuggled through in a turban those folks will be proven correct!


I read it all but missed the "not"in your op that's my mistake.

[Buddy Holly]

This is still in the Spurs forum?

[bigfan]

close this fucking mess please, take this political shit to another forum

[cd021]

Oh. I wasn't aware that you were the one who gets to decide wether or not Limbaugh being a racist is or is not debatable.

Wait. I just noticed that you've got Jimmy as your picture. Gosh. You must be right then.

I'm far from the only one who believes he is racist or offensive.
Google top 20 racist remarks made by Limbaugh. One website goes through each in detail and explains how each comment is offensive to a race or sex.How does my avatar have anything to do with it? Are gonna debate next that Hendrix wasnt awesome? Of course not why debate something that isn't really debatable?

[LongtimeSpursFan]

Pacers win today but Heat will take Game 7.

[sammy]

This doesn't belong on this forum! Enough with the bogus investigations! Take care of our country first! Jobs, Our Military, Our Roads and Our economy!

[Two10Whitey]

http://arnaldogreco.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/irs.jpg

[Winehole23]

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/johncassidy/2013/06/darrell-issa-vanishing-irs-tax-scandal.html

[boutons_deux]

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/johncassidy/2013/06/darrell-issa-vanishing-irs-tax-scandal.html

:lol

What's most laughable about this yet another Repug/Fox FABRICATED scandal is that Ms of right-wing God-guns-gays rabble STILL believe it, as fervently as they KNOW their God created the universe in 144 hours about 6000 years ago.

[Winehole23]

you shouldn't make that face; it might freeze that way.

[boutons_deux]

you shouldn't make that face; it might freeze that way.

I appreciate your concern, so GFY

[boutons_deux]

Issa Busted for Secret Meetings with Stay-Behind IRS Inspector General UPDATED Fed Complaint Filed (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/02/07/1275822/-Issa-Busted-for-Secret-Meetings-with-Stay-Behind-IRS-Inspector-General)


We can't say Seymour Hersh didn't warn us. It's looking like the IRS Inspector General, J. Russell George, a Dubya appointee, is the ultimate stay-behind. In the middle of last year, he was caught meeting exclusively with Issa and his Goposaur gang to drum up phony IRS scandal claims (http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/domestic-taxes/307813-irs-ig-says-audit-limited-to-tea-party-groups). Well now, he's been caught doing the exact same thing, but regarding an IRS 'audit' of the Affordable Care Act.

Thank goodness for Rep. Elijah Cummings and Rep. Gerald Connelly, who wrote the 'honorable' IRS IG a letter, which they cc'ed to Issa, and is posted in full after the jump...

The Honorable J. Russell George
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration
U.S. Department of the Treasury
City Center Building
1401 H Street, NW, Suite 469
Washington, D.C. 20005

Dear Mr. Inspector General:

We are writing to object strongly to your office’s repeated partisan meetings with Chairman Darrell Issa and his staff after intentionally excluding Democratic
Committee Members and staff—particularly regarding matters that currently are under active investigation by both your office and this Committee.

We have been informed that your staff held an in-person meeting with Republican Committee staff in their offices on January 27, 2014. During this meeting, your staff discussed substantive information about a new audit your office has initiated on data security issues relating to the Affordable Care Act. Your staff also discussed specific documents relating to this audit that your office has obtained as part of its review.

According to subsequent accounts from your office, Chairman Issa’s staff forbade you from including any Democratic Committee Members or staff in that meeting, and your staff accepted these terms without even informing my office.

For these reasons, we now have three requests:

(1) First, we ask that your office provide the Democratic staff with the same in-person briefing that was provided to Chairman Issa’s staff on January 27, as well as all information your office has shared with the Chairman’s staff on this matter to date.

(2) In addition, if the Committee continues to insist on a partisan approach that excludes Democrats, we believe it is your responsibility, as an Inspector General charged with conducting non-partisan reviews, to resist these tactics, and we request that you not consent to any terms that deny Members of one political party the opportunity to participate in briefings or meetings relating to your active audits or investigations.

(3) Finally, because you and your Communications Director have made conflicting publicstatements regarding your audit of tax-exempt applicants, please provide copies of all documents within TIGTA’s possession or control related to any statements made by Ms. Kraushaar in June 2013 relating to the audit of tax-exempt applicants, including all emails or other communications between you, Karen Kraushaar, or any other TIGTA employee.

Thank you for your cooperation with this request.
Sincerely,
Elijah E. Cummings Gerald Connolly
Ranking Member Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Government Operations

cc: The Honorable Darrell E. Issa, Chairman


Update 1:

Democratic Representatives Connolly and Cartwright have now filed a formal complaint against IG George with the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. From The Washington Post:


Two House Democrats on Thursday called for an investigation of a federal auditor who accused the Internal Revenue Service of gross mismanagement and targeting advocacy groups for extra scrutiny based on their names and policy positions.Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Matt Cartwright (D-Penn.) on Wednesday filed a complaint with a special watchdog council questioning the independence of Treasury Department inspector general J. Russell George.

The congressmen, both of whom serve as top Democrats on House oversight committees, said George produced a “fundamentally flawed performance audit” that was “incomplete” and “outright misleading.” They also alleged that he held briefings with Republican members of the House Oversight Committee without the knowledge of Democrats on the panel.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/02/07/1275822/-Issa-Busted-for-Secret-Meetings-with-Stay-Behind-IRS-Inspector-General?detail=email

:lol :lol Darrel Quixote Issa still tilting at IRS windmills.

Repug governance! :lol

[boutons_deux]

oops!

Issa Says His IRS Investigation Might Have Hit A 'Dead End'

Following a House Oversight Committee hearing Wednesday (http://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/issa-cummings-lerner-hearing) in which a star witness again invoked her Fifth Amendment rights, and the Democratic ranking member denounced a "one-sided investigation," committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) told reporters that his long-running investigation into the IRS may have hit a "dead end."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/issa-irs-dead-end?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+tpm-news+%28TPMNews%29

[boutons_deux]

Issa supporting free speech by Dem committe member

http://d3j5vwomefv46c.cloudfront.net/photos/large/842192029.gif?1394033148