Ways and Means investigation uncovers push to audit Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Rep. Dave Camp
Committee on Ways and Means
6/25/2014
Washington, DC – Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) announced the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) targeting of conservative individuals includes a sitting United States Senator. According to emails reviewed by the Committee under its Section 6103 authority, which allows the Committee to review confidential taxpayer information, Lois Lerner sought to have Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) referred for IRS examination.
“We have seen a lot of unbelievable things in this investigation, but the fact that Lois Lerner attempted to initiate an apparently baseless IRS examination against a sitting Republican United States Senator is shocking,” said Camp. “At every turn, Lerner was using the IRS as a tool for political purposes in defiance of taxpayer rights. We may never know the full extent of the abuse since the IRS conveniently lost two years of Lerner emails, not to mention those of other key figures in this scandal. The fact that DOJ refuses to investigate the IRS’s abuses or appoint a special counsel demonstrates, yet again, this Administration’s unwillingness to uphold the rule of law.”
Background:
While the Ways and Means Committee investigation into Lerner’s involvement in the potential Grassley examination is ongoing, documents show that Lerner received an invitation to a speaking event that was intended for Senator Grassley. Instead of forwarding the invitation to Grassley’s office, Lerner immediately suggested to others in her office that the issue should be referred for examination. The Committee was able to investigate this information through its authority under Section 6103 of the tax code. A waiver was signed by Senator Grassley and his wife in order to make this information public.
Related: From Sharyl Attkisson, Email: IRS’ Lerner Suggested Targeting Sen. Grassley (R-Iowa)
…“Looks like they were inappropriately offering to pay for his wife,” Lerner said. “Perhaps we should refer to Exam?”
One of Lerner’s colleagues apparently thought better of it, answering: “I think the offer to pay for Grassley’s wife is income to Grassley, and not prohibited on its face.” He went on to say that they would need to wait to see if Sen. Grassley accepted the speaking engagement and then filed the proper tax form.
The email thread implies that Lerner’s the examination idea was dropped. Sen. Grassley’s office did not immediately return a request for comment…
