The ousted chief of the Internal Revenue Service Steven Miller is telling Congress that his agency made errors in targeting conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status, but he says the mistakes were not the result of partisan views.
The IRS openly discriminated against groups, but the former chief Steven Miller claims the error was the work of people trying to be more efficient in their workload selection — not partisanship.
U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania’s 3rd congressional district berates former chief of the Internal Revenue Service, Steven Miller (Partial transcript below).
“I have a grandson who is afraid to get out of bed at night because he thinks there’s somebody under the bed that’s going to grab him, and I think most Americans feel that way about the IRS,” Kelly continued. “You get a letter from you folks or a phone call, it’s with terror that you look at it …
Is there any limit to the scope of where you folks can go? Is there anything at all? Is there any way that we could ask you, ‘Is there any question you shouldn’t have asked?’ My goodness. ‘How much money do you have in your wallet?’ … ‘Who do you get e-mails from?’ … ‘Who’s sign do you put up in your front yard?’ This is a tax question? Now you don’t think that’s intimidating? It’s sure as hell intimidating …
And I don’t know that I got any answers from you today … there’s a heck of a lot more that has to come out in this … I am more concerned today than I was before, and the fact that you all can do just about anything you want to anybody. You can put anybody out of business, that you want, anytime you want. And I got to tell you …
You talked about that you’re a horribly run organization. If you’re on the other side of the fence, you’re not given that excuse. When the IRS comes in, you’re not allowed to be shoddy. You’re not allowed to be run horribly. You’re not allowed to make mistakes. You’re not allowed to do one damn thing that doesn’t come into compliance. And if you do, you’re held responsible right then. I just think the American people have seen what’s going on right now in their government. This is absolutely an overreach. This is an outrage for all America.”
— Mike Kelly (R-PA/3rd District/Erie, New Castle, Butler)
Mike Kelly (R-PA) deemed the IRS officials’ explanation for the politically-motivated targeting insufficient and said that their overreach was one reason why Americans’ faith in their government was so low. The congressman’s speech which was met with applause from the audience.
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