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.
