Government watchdog group Judicial Watch, citing a new report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, said the Obama-era IRS’s practice of “losing” or “destroying” documents demands a criminal investigation.
House Republicans in April called on the Justice Department to reopen the investigation into Lois Lerner and the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups.“Recently, the IRS reported that, when responding to requests from external parties, it had determined that some documents had been lost or destroyed.”
The July 13 Treasury IG report noted that “The IRS is required by federal law to retain and produce federal records when requested through appropriate legal means. Recently, the IRS reported that, when responding to requests from external parties, it had determined that some documents had been lost or destroyed.”
In April, Judicial Watch filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the IRS to obtain records relating to the agency’s “preservation and/or retention” of the email records of officials who have left the agency since January 2010.