House Republicans moved to begin impeachment proceedings for IRS commissioner John Koskinen Tuesday, accusing the IRS chief of making “false statements” under oath and failing to comply with a subpoena.
Fox News reported House Oversight Committee chair Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and 18 other members of the committee signed on to the resolution.
Chaffetz, who was running to succeed John Boehner as House speaker until Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) entered the race, wrote in the resolution that Koskinen violated the public trust by allegedly destroying evidence, lying in his testimony, and obstructing a congressional investigation into the supposed IRS targeting of conservative groups.
In July, Chaffetz and 51 other members of Congress called for Koskinen’s removal in a letter to President Obama, saying the agency head interfered with the investigation.
The news comes just four days after the Justice Department declined to charge ex-IRS official Lois Lerner, who was at the center of the controversy when it began more than two years ago.
Chaffetz’s co-sponors on the resolution are:
- Ron DeSantis (FL-06)
- Paul A. Gosar (AZ-04)
- Scott DesJarlais (R-TN)
- Blake Farenthold (TX-27)
- Tim Walberg (MI-07)
- Jody Hice (GA-10)
- Gary Palmer (AL-06)
- Mark Walker (NC-06)
- Mick Mulvaney (SC-05)
- Jim Jordan (OH-04)
- Steve Russell (OK-05)
- Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01)
- Glenn Grothman (WI-06)
- Cynthia M. Lummis (WY-AL)
- Will Hurd (TX-23)
- Justin Amash (MI-03)
- Michael R. Turner (OH-10)
- Thomas Massie (KY-04)
This post has been updated.
JC is just hoping that the head of the IRS is not as smart as C. Richards!
So what’s the reason, or is it just one of those “because we can” things.
blah blah blah…
Stunning! They’re going to start Ryan’s speakership off with impeaching a member of the administration, all in an effort to show how serious they are about governing. This is the image they want to put forth to the American people as we head into an election year? They want to be batting around the word “impeachment” as a person named Clinton increasingly looks to be the new standard bearer of the opposition party? Please proceed!
And the Party of Fiscal irresponsibility strikes again by pouring more tax dollars down the drain appeasing their lunatic base.