Press Release
ICYMI: Jordan grills IRS commissioner during Judiciary hearing on impeachmentToday, Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) grilled Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen about allegations of misconduct in a hearing on impeachment before the House Judiciary Committee. TRANSCRIPT of first Q/A with Koskinen: TRANSCRIPT of second Q/A with Koskinen: VIDEO of first Q/A with Koskinen: https://youtu.be/Q_WmMs8PXFw VIDEO of second Q/A with Koskinen: https://youtu.be/bJTZUeQ_iPo The hearing featured Koskinen as the sole witness discussing articles of impeachment against him for his failures relating to investigations into the IRS targeting scandal. During the hearing: - Rep. Jordan questioned Koskinen about false statements he made under oath, and about documents that were destroyed at the IRS despite multiple subpoenas. - Koskinen acknowledged that he made false statements under oath. He has failed to correct the record about those statements. - Koskinen admitted subpoenaed documents were destroyed under his watch. - Rep. Jordan pointed out that targeting continues at the IRS. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia found in August 2016 that the IRS continues to target several groups. During the hearing Rep. Jordan said to Koskinen: “Here’s what happened: The IRS targeted folks. They got caught. Ms. Lerner, at first, she lies about it. She says, ‘Oh, it wasn’t us, it was those folks in Cincinnati.’ Then she takes the Fifth. That sort of puts a premium on all the documents and communications – making sure we get those – that’s why we had two subpoenas and three preservation orders for that information. You come in to clean up the mess, and under your watch documents are destroyed, false statements are made, 422 backup tapes are erased. And now the clincher. Now the clincher: it’s still going on. And so the other side can say, ‘We shouldn’t be here today, you shouldn’t have to sit through this.’ I’m saying why haven’t we done this a long time ago? You should’ve been gone a long time ago. When this is the record: losing emails, backup tapes destroyed, targeting still continues to this day – not Jim Jordan’s words, not Freedom Caucus words, words from the Court of Appeals – for goodness sake, that’s why this hearing is important, and that’s why we should move forward with the articles that Mr. Chaffetz submitted 15 months ago and make sure that you no longer hold office.” -30- |
