About this episode
Impeachment: A serious punishment for serious corruption. In this episode, learn why Congress has begun the process of impeaching IRS Commissioner John Koskinen and how his impeachment would prevent light from being shined upon dark money in politics. Executive Producer: Anonymous Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Bill Outlines H.R. 5253: Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act Prohibits tax exempt organizations from being required to disclose any information about their contributors, including the person's name, address, or the amount of their contribution or gift on their annual tax returns. Passed the House of Representatives 240-182 Author: Peter Roskam (IL-6) Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 5053 – Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act By Representative Peter Roskam and 25 cosponsors, Executive Office of the President, June 13, 2016. H.Res. 737: Condemning and censuring John A. Koskinen, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue Suggests that John Koskinen should resign or be fired by the President Suggests that John Koskinen be denied his all of his retirement payments from the Federal government S. 1728: Access to Court Challenges for Exempt Status Seekers (ACCESS) Act of 2015 Allows the United States Tax Court, the United States Court of Federal Claims, or the district court of the United States for the District of Columbia to determine qualifications for 501(c)4 status if the IRS hasn't made the determination after 270 days. S. 1578: Taxpayer Bill of Rights Enhancement Act of 2015 Congress must be notified why the IRS Commissioner decides NOT to fire an employee Requires IRS employee emails to be stored for 15 years and then be stored in the National Archives Quadruples criminal penalties for unauthorized disclosures and inspections. Prohibits IRS employees from using personal email accounts for official business Gives organizations the ability to challenge their denials of tax exempt status in court S.942: Fair Treatment for All Gifts Act Expands the tax deduction for charitable giving to include gifts to 501(c)4 organizations S. 949: Small Business Taxpayer Bill of Rights Defines a "small business" as one that makes less than $50 million a year Increases fines for unauthorized inspection or disclosure of tax returns by 10 times the current penalties Institutes mandatory unpaid leave for at least 30 days for any IRS employee that reviews an application for tax exempt status "using any methodology that applies disproportionate scrutiny to any applicant based on the ideology expressed in the name or purpose of the organization". Allows the United States Tax Court, the United States Court of Federal Claims, or the district court of the United States for the District of Columbia to determine qualifications for 501(c)4 status if the IRS hasn't made the determination after 270 days. Orders the Treasury Inspector General to Investigate criteria used to evaluate applications for tax exempt status to determine whether the criteria discriminates against taxpayers on the basis of race, religion, or political ideology. S. 283: Stop Targeting of Political Beliefs by the IRS Act of 2015 The standard used to determine whether an organization is a 501(c)4 social welfare organization that was used on January 1, 2010 will be the standard used, and it cannot be changed before February 28, 2017. Speaker Paul Ryan's version of this bill prohibits the standard from changing before December 31, 2017. Sound Clip Sources Hearing: Examining the Allegations of Misconduct Against IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, Part II, House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, June 22, 2016. Hearing: Conduct of IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, May 24, 2016. Hearing: Internal Revenue Service Targeting Investigation, Senate Finance Committee, October 27, 2015. Additional Reading Article: Freedom Caucus Ups Pressure to Impeach IRS Commissioner By Daniel Newhauser, Government Executive, June 30, 2016. Article: IRS Targeting Scandal: Citizens United, Lois Lerner And The $20M Tax Saga That Won't Go Away By Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, June 24, 2016. Article: The Show Trial of IRS Commissioner John Koskinen By Norm Ornstein, The Atlantic, June 22, 2016. Article: IRS Chief Koskinen Fights First Appointee Impeachment Since 1876 By Lynnley Browning, Chicago Tribune, June 21, 2016. Article: House Approves Koch-backed Bill to Shield Donors' Names By Fredreka Schouten, USA Today, June 14, 2016. Article: Appropriations Bill 'Handcuffs'IRS on Political Group Activities By Colleen Murphy, Bloomberg Bureau of National Affairs, June 13, 2016. Article: How Crossroads GPS Beat the IRS and Became a Social Welfare Group By Robert Maguire, Open Secrets, February 12, 2016. Article: Inside the Billion-Dollar Battle for Puerto Rico's Future By Jonathan Mahler and Nicholas Confessore, The New York Times, December 19, 2015. Article: Exelon Amends Reports Concerning Contributions To Trade Groups By Michael Beckel, The Center for Public Integrity, January 29, 2014. Article: Follow the Corporate Cash Flow to Nonprofits By Chris Zubak-Skees, The Center for Public Integrity, January 16, 2014. Article: At Least 1 in 4 Dark Money Dollars in 2012 Had Koch Links By Robert Maguire, OpenSecrets, December 3, 2013. Article: The IRS Tea Party Scandal, Explained By Andy Kroll, Mother Jones, November 21, 2013. Additional Information SourceWatch: 60 Plus Association OpenSecrets: Political Nonprofits (Dark Money) Reports IRS Return Selection: Wage and Investment Division Should Define Audit Objectives and Refine Other Internal Controls, United States Government Accountability Office, December 2015. Finance Committee Releases Bipartisan IRS Report By Aaron Forbes and Julia Lawless, United States Senate Committee on Finance, August 5, 2015. Inappropriate Criteria Were Used to Identify Tax-Exempt Applications for Review By Treasury Inspector General For Tax Administration, May 14, 2013. The Internal Revenue Service's Processing Of 501(c)(3) And 501(c)(4) Applications For Tax-Exempt Status Submitted By ''Political Advocacy'' By The United States Senate Committee on Finance, August 5, 2015. Organizations From 2010–2013 Part 1 The Report Part 2 Letters Part 3 Emails Part 4 Documents Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations