Washington, DC - Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) pressed Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner John Koskinen regarding Treasury developing rules to limit conservative groups’ ability to engage in public debate.
During a Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight hearing with the Commissioner, Camp highlighted findings from the Committee’s investigation:
Before February 2010, Tea Party cases were being processed and approved within three months without Washington, DC intervention.
Tea Party cases were flagged due to “media attention” in February 2010, not as a result of any confusion as to how to interpret 501(c)(4) law.
According to interviews, as early as 2011, work on potential 501(c)(4) regulations was started. A June 2012 email between Treasury and Lois Lerner revealed that these potential regulations were being discussed “off-plan” – or not to be published on the public schedule.
In November 2013, Treasury released proposed regulations drafted in a manner that would shut down conservative groups, and marketed them to the American people as a response to “confusion” over the application of 501(c)(4) law.
At the hearing, Chairman Camp stated: “If Treasury and the IRS fabricated the rationale for a rule change it would tend to raise questions about the integrity of the rule-making process.
“I want to be perfectly clear – this Committee will fight any and all efforts to restrict the rights of groups to organize, speak-out and educate the public, just as unions are allowed to do so. We will get to the bottom of this, and I expect the IRS to produce – quickly – the outstanding documents the Committee has requested.
"I believe the IRS has a long way to go in restoring its credibility. But, you can take a first step by complying with this Committee’s request and stopping all action against 501(c)(4) groups until the appropriate investigations are completed.”