Just in time for tax season:
courtroom battles that place the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) front and
center. Many Americans fear being audited after filing their taxes each year,
but who penalizes IRS officials when they do something illegal or underhanded?
Making headlines recently is Lois Lerner, a former IRS official who has been
criminally charged for fraudulently investigating tea party nonprofit
organizations.
The IRS has been the subject of major legal scrutiny. Image: Shutterstock |
Since then, the controversy surrounding
these questionable IRS practices has spun into a massive media frenzy and legal
battle. After all, this is the IRS we’re talking about; it’s the federal entity
that controls much of our nation’s finances, and one that many people loathe
and even fear. If the IRS is making decisions based on politics, personal
beliefs, or otherwise, this certainly does deserve a lot of media attention.
Earlier this month, the House
Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted to hold Lerner in contempt of Congress, just after sending a letter that urged the Justice
Department to pursue criminal charges against her. Explains legal analyst Kendall Coffey, “A criminal referral by a body of Congress is going
to get very serious attention. I mean no matter what party, what branch of
government, something like that simply can’t get ignored.” Coffey continued,
telling “The Steve Malzberg Show” on Newsmax TV, “It’ll be looked at very, very
seriously and if they decide not to do anything in the end, they’ll need to be
in a position to really justify that decision, which generally prosecutors
don’t have to do,” of the extreme circumstances surrounding the case.
Recently, Lerner has been
refusing to answers questions during court hearings, citing the Fifth Amendment
so as not to self-incriminate. It’s the GOP members of the House Oversight
Committee that are most in favor of holding her in contempt of Congress;
reportedly, the Committee voted 21-12 to hold her in contempt with all
Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats voting against.
Stay tuned for more
developments as court hearings proceed.
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