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GOP Chickens Out On Impeaching IRS Commissioner

   DailyWire.com

This week, after Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) introduced H.Res.828, the measure which would impeach Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John A. Koskinen, the GOP-led House failed to move the matter forward, instead referring the matter back to the Judiciary Committee. The vote to throw the mater back to the Judiciary Committee passed 342-72, with 166 Republicans bailing out and joining 176 Democrats.

The bill “[r]esolves that John Andrew Koskinen, Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors and that specified articles of impeachment be exhibited to the Senate.”

This isn’t the first time the House has chickened out when impeaching Koskinen was on the table; the House failed to pass Rep. Jason Chaffetz’s resolution to push for Koskinene’s impeachment; in autumn of 2015 another resolution failed.

The Judiciary Committee decides if sufficient grounds for impeachment exist; Judiciary Chair Bob Goodlatte has scheduled hearings to investigate the matter, but even after the third was held in September, no resolution or recommendation was forwarded.

House Speaker Paul Ryan called the impeachment process against Koskinen “more or less a conscience vote. Something that we all have to decide on our own.”

The case against Koskinen stems from his alleged obstruction of Congress’ efforts to investigate how conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status were targeted by the IRS; he has been accused of purposefully lying to Congress as well as trying to cover up former IRS Tax Exempt Organization Director Lois Lerner’s 2011 hard drive failure.

Courtesy of Kelly Phillips Erb of Forbes, here is a timeline of events leading to the attempt to impeach Koskinen:

July 2008: Citizens United, a conservative lobbying group, wanted to air a series of commercials promoting a film targeting Hillary Clinton. The United States District Court for the District of Columbia rules against Citizens United, which appealed the decision.

March 24, 2009. Oral arguments in the Supreme Court began in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310.

January 21, 2010. The Supreme Court issued an opinion reversing the original decision in part, remanding it back to the lower court. Because of the decision, As a result of the ruling, the number of nonprofit organizations applying for tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(4) of the Tax Code skyrocketed.

March 2010. Internal Revenue Service employees in the Cincinnati office were asked to further scrutinize tax-exempt applications that bore certain keywords.

August 2010. The IRS distributes its first formal BOLO (Be on the Lookout) listing to those examining applications. The criteria were Tea Party organizations applying for section 501(c)(3) or section 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status.

June 2011. Other words were added to the BOLO listings, such as Patriots and 9/12 Project, in addition to policy positions such as government spending, taxes, and government debt. Acting Director of Exempt Organizations, Lois Lerner, is advised of the practice.

January 2012. The IRS sends additional information request letters to certain organizations.

March 22, 2012. Former IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman testifies before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight there was “absolutely no targeting” by the IRS of conservative and/or Tea Party organizations.

May 2012. Shulman and former Acting Commissioner Steven T. Miller are briefed by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) about what was happening.

June 2012. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) formally requests a Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) inquiry.

July 2012. The TIGTA inquiry begins.

November 11, 2012. Shulman steps down at the end of his term and is replaced by Miller.

May 10, 2013. Lerner admits that organizations were targeted because of their titles or beliefs, calling it “absolutely incorrect, insensitive, and inappropriate.”

May 14, 2013. Attorney General Eric Holder announces an FBI investigation.

May 15, 2013. IRS issues a statement on the scandal. Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller resigns.

May 16, 2013. President Obama names 42-year-old Daniel Werfel as Acting Commissioner of the IRS.

May 22, 2013. Lerner refuses to testify in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, pleading the Fifth Amendment.

May 23, 2013. Lerner is placed on administrative leave.

June 12, 2013. The use of BOLO lists is officially suspended.

December 23, 2013. John Koskinen is sworn in as the new IRS Commissioner following a 59-36 confirmation vote.

March 11, 2014. The Committee on House Oversight and Reform issues a report on “Lois Lerner’s Involvement in the Targeting of Tax-Exempt Organizations” (downloads as a pdf).

April 7, 2014. John Koskinen confirms six ongoing investigations, acknowledging the cost to taxpayers has been at least $14 million.

April 8, 2014. The Committee on House Oversight and Government Reform announces that it would pursue contempt charges against Lerner.

May 7, 2014. The House of Representatives passes H. Res. 574 by a vote of 231 to 187, holding Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress.

November 22, 2014. Up to 30,000 emails previously reported missing may have been found.

March 31, 2015. The DOJ announces that it won’t file criminal contempt charges against Lois Lerner, as she did not waive her Fifth Amendment rights.

October 25, 2015. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) introduced a resolution to begin impeach proceedings against IRS Commissioner John Koskinen.

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