House Republicans are deploying another attack in their continuing case against Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen: Formal censure.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R., Utah) is introducing a resolution condemning the head of the IRS for how he has responded to congressional investigations of the agency’s scrutiny of tea-party groups.
“Mr. Koskinen must be held accountable for his misconduct,” Mr. Chaffetz said in a statement. “I am committed to using every tool at my disposal to hold Mr. Koskinen responsible for his offenses toward Congress and toward the American people. I view censure as a precursor to impeachment as it allows the House the opportunity to formally condemn Mr. Koskinen.”
Mr. Chaffetz has previously introduced an impeachment resolution, and the House Judiciary Committee will hold its first hearing on the issue May 24. Removing Mr. Koskinen from office would require impeachment in the House and a two-thirds vote in the Senate, and that doesn’t look likely at all.
President Barack Obama nominated Mr. Koskinen to run the IRS in 2013 after forcing out the previous acting commissioner, Steven Miller, immediately after the agency said it had given tea-party groups improper scrutiny as they sought nonprofit status.