Imagine you’re sitting across the table during an IRS audit.
The IRS agent pulls out one of your receipts and with glaring eyes says, “Now Mr. Urguilty, let’s discuss this $3.95 receipt for a pen you supposedly claim is a business expense. How exactly did you use said pen in your business?” You immediately answer, “I don’t recall.”
The IRS agent not satisfied, continues. “Well then Mr. Urguilty, tell me about this $5.50 receipt for copy paper – just what do you copy in your business?” Again you respond, “I don’t recall.” The agent’s questioning continues and you stick to your “I don’t recall” answer.
When all is said and done, what do you think will be the outcome? I can’t say for sure but based on a consistent history of IRS abuse of taxpayers, I am pretty confident it won’t be pretty.
But when it comes to IRS agents who testify before Congress, the “I don’t recall” excuse has become their standard response to any question they don’t want to answer.
And Congress seems to just look the other way.
Just this week Congressman Darrell Issa’s House Oversight Committee held another hearing. They questioned IRS senior Obamacare manager, Sarah Hall Ingram, about a series of email exchanges between the IRS, senior White House officials and former IRS exempt division director, Lois Learner.
The focus was a redacted series of emails that described adiscussion of confidential taxpayer information in direct violation of Section 6103 of the IRS code.
Violation of Section 6103 is a very serious offense. To understand how serious, Patrick Howley of the Daily Caller states “federal employees who illegally disclose confidential taxpayer information could face five years in prison.
Yet Congressman Gerald Connolly (VA-8), whose salary is paid for by you, must believe that IRS officials are simply immune from federal laws that apply to every other federal employee. Listen to the compelling line of questioning he directed at Ms. Hall during the hearing including:
“Have you been consorting with the devil?”
“Are reports that you can fly accurate?”
“Have you been involved in any way in trying to pervert our youth in Salem or anywhere else?”
The disrespect Rep. Connolly showed towards a Committee of Congress conducting serious business regarding federal employees who have potentially broken federal law defies description.
More importantly, the sheer havoc the IRS inflicts upon the American people every day – combined with the new revelations of their multiple instances of releasing confidential taxpayer information – deserves more than Rep. Connolly’s vulgar display of carny-style questioning.
The FairTax Plan® will finally solve this problem once and for all by defunding and eliminating the IRS. Under the FairTax Plan, the American people will no longer have to worry that their confidential information will be disclosed by IRS employees acting as agents of political weaponry.
The Committee on Ways and Means will soon begin their deliberations on fundamental tax reform and the FairTax.
If I could, during their deliberations I would have in front of every member a video loop of Lois Lerner repeatedly pleading the 5th, Sara Ingram and other IRS officials repeatedly testifying “I don’t recall,” and Rep. Connolly asking his snarky devil questions.
At the end of the loop, I would place on the screen one simple question:
“How can you possibly stand before American taxpayers and defend the continued funding and support of the income tax and the IRS?”
This should also be your question to every member of Congress – today, tomorrow and every single day until the FairTax is the law of the land.
Until next week,
Cindy Canevaro
Executive Director