Issa Presses IRS Commissioner on Outstanding Targeting Scandal Document Requests Ahead of Wednesday Hearing

WASHINGTON – Today, in advance of Wednesday’s hearing on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)’s inappropriate targeting of conservative groups, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., sent a letter to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen detailing specific and longstanding priority document requests the agency has still not fulfilled.

“As you prepare for the hearing, I write to remind you of several Committee requests to the IRS that remain outstanding,” Issa writes to Koskinen, who is slated to testify at tomorrow’s hearing. “The Committee requires these documents to fully examine the circumstances surrounding the IRS’s targeting of conservative tax-exempt applicants. The IRS’s continued failure to fully satisfy the Committee’s requests frustrates the Committee’s investigation and delays the completion of the Committee’s fact-finding work. Your continued noncompliance with these requests also contravenes your pledge to fully cooperate with congressional investigations”

The letter lists the outstanding requests:

1. All communications sent or received by Lois Lerner, from January 1, 2009 to August 2, 2013. The Committee requested these documents on May 14, 2013. The Committee subpoenaed these documents on August 2, 2013, and again on February 14, 2014. The IRS has not satisfied this request.

2. All communications sent or received by Holly Paz, from January 1, 2009 to August 2, 2013. The Committee requested these documents on June 4, 2013. The Committee subpoenaed these documents on August 2, 2013, and again on February 14, 2014. The IRS has not satisfied this request.

3. All communications sent or received by William Wilkins, from January 1, 2009 to August 2, 2013. The Committee requested these documents on June 4, 2013. The Committee subpoenaed these documents on August 2, 2013, and again on February 14, 2014. The IRS has not satisfied this request

4. All communications sent or received by Jonathan Davis, from January 1, 2009 to August 2, 2013. The Committee requested these documents on June 4, 2013. The Committee subpoenaed these documents on August 2, 2013, and again on February 14, 2014. The IRS has not satisfied this request.

5. All communications between or among employees of the Internal Revenue Service’s office of Chief Counsel, employees of the Department of the Treasury, and employees of the Executive Office of the President, referring or relating to tax-exempt organizations or applications from tax-exempt status, from February 1, 2010 to August 2, 2013. The Committee requested these documents on July 17, 2013. The Committee subpoenaed these documents on August 2, 2013, and again on February 14, 2014. The IRS has not satisfied this request.

6. All communications sent by IRS employees to an e-mail address with the domain name “who.eop.gov,” from February 1, 2010 to August 2, 2013. The Committee requested these documents on June 4, 2013, and July 17, 2013. The Committee subpoenaed these documents on August 2, 2013, and again on February 14, 2014. The IRS has not satisfied this request.

7. All communications received by IRS employees from an e-mail address with the domain name “who.eop.gov,” from February 1, 2010 to August 2, 2013. The Committee requested these documents on June 4, 2013, and July 17, 2013. The Committee subpoenaed these documents on August 2, 2013, and again on February 14, 2014. The IRS has not satisfied this request.

8. All documents referring or relating to the evaluation of tax-exempt applications or the examination of tax-exempt organizations, from January 1, 2009 to August 2, 2013. The Committee requested these documents on May 14, 2013. The Committee subpoenaed these documents on August 2, 2013, and again on February 14, 2014. The IRS has not satisfied this request.

9. All communications between current or former IRS employees, including but not limited to Lois Lerner, and the Executive Office of the President, including but not limited to the White House Office and the Office of Management and Budget, referring or relating to the development of the proposed regulation and any suggested amendment to Treas. Reg. § 1.501(c)(4)-1. The Committee requested these documents on February 4, 2014, and on February 26, 2014. The IRS has not satisfied this request.

10. All communications between the IRS and the Department of Treasury referring or relating to the development of the proposed regulation and any suggested amendment to Treas. Reg. § 1.501(c)(4)-1. The Committee requested these documents on February 4, 2014, and on February 26, 2014. The IRS has not satisfied this request.

The hearing, featuring Koskinen’s testimony, will begin Wednesday, March 26th at 9:30 a.m.

You can read the complete letter here.