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House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) today sent a letter to Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) regarding FDIC’s pressure on banks to terminate relationships with legal businesses, in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s Operation Choke Point, which targets businesses the Obama Administration deems objectionable.  In April, the FDIC’s Acting General Counsel, Richard J. Osterman, testified at ...

“We were extremely troubled by this new information, and by the fact that the IRS has withheld it from the Committee for over a year,” write Issa and Jordan to IRS Commissioner Koskinen. “We were astonished to learn days ago from the Justice Department that these 21 disks contained confidential taxpayer information protected by federal law. We ask that you immediately produce all material explaining how these disks were prepared and transmitted to the FBI.”

WASHINGTON – Today, House Oversight and Government Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., issued the following statement in response to the news that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Justice will not be pursuing charges against Ernesto Pulido, a California tree-trimmer who unintentionally injured five baby birds while performing a job for which the U.S. Postal Service had hired him. “I’m glad to hear that in the case of Mr. Pulido, the bureaucratic bullies ...

“Seeing Secretary Kerry and others, who have worked to obstruct critical oversight of Congress’ investigations into Benghazi, attempt to use the upcoming June 12 hearing as a shield against the Select Committee tells me it’s time to reassess. It’s been disappointing to watch a long serving former Senator, like Secretary Kerry, squirm his way to what I’m doing today – releasing him from the upcoming hearing commitment he made only after we issued him a subpoena.

WASHINGTON – Today, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., released the following statement on the resignation of Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki: “Our veterans, who sacrificed their safety and risked their lives for their country, deserve the best care our nation can provide. It is our duty to ensure that no veteran is ever subjected to excessive wait times or substandard care. With Secretary Shinseki’s resignation today, ...

Key Findings ·         Operation Choke Point was created by the Justice Department to “choke out” companies the Administration considers a “high risk” or otherwise objectionable, despite the fact that they are legal businesses.  The goal of the initiative is to deny these merchants access to the banking and payments networks that every business needs to survive. ·         Operation Choke Point has forced banks to terminate relationships ...

WASHINGTON – House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) today released a staff report, The Department of Justice’s “Operation Choke Point”:  Illegally Choking Off Legitimate Businesses?, on the DOJ’s wide-ranging investigation of banks and payment processors. The ostensible goal of the investigation is to combat mass-market consumer fraud by foreclosing fraudsters’ access to payment systems.  However, today’s report finds the true ...

Specifically, the investigative report found: ·         Problems with TSA’s application of the SSI designation date back to 2004, including inconsistent application of the designation. ·         TSA improperly designated certain information as SSI in order to avoid its public release. ·         TSA has repeatedly released information to the public against the advice of the SSI Office and without having produced suitable ...

WASHINGTON – House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., today sent a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Daniel Ashe questioning the agency’s decision to press charges against a California tree-trimmer who inadvertently violated the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) while performing a job commissioned by the U.S. Postal ...