WASHINGTON - Ways and Means Committee Democrats today released the following join statement after Committee Republicans today voted to refer Lois Lerner to the Justice Department for possible criminal charges:
The Republican Majority took an unfortunate and unprecedented step this morning to use the Ways and Means Committee’s authority as the guardian of taxpayer information to make public previously protected taxpayer information. The concerns raised could have easily been transmitted to the Justice Department without compromising confidential taxpayer information.
Republicans took this unprecedented step in an effort to continue their year-long baseless campaign to make a scandal out of IRS mismanagement even though they have failed to prove any of their allegations of White House involvement, pursuit of an enemies list, or targeting of only conservative groups.
Now that the documents have been made public, it is clear that their motivation was also to promote and protect huge Republican campaign operations like those operated by Karl Rove at Crossroads GPS. It is about whether Karl Rove can use tens of millions of secret, corporate dollars to pollute our democracy while claiming to be operating as a tax exempt “social welfare" organization. Questions about Crossroads GPS have been around since 2010. If Republicans can shut down those questions, Crossroads GPS can continue to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into advancing Republican candidates without having to disclose their contributors. Crossroads GPS reported to the FEC having spent $71 million during the 2012 election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Democrats made it clear during the Executive Session that we do not condone IRS mismanagement or any potential criminal activity. Indeed, it was Democrats who called for Lois Lerner to step down in the early days of the disclosures by the Treasury Inspector General.
We all share the objective of a thorough investigation and prosecution by the US Justice Department, if justified, of any person who violated the law. We all share the objective of ensuring that the IRS is effectively administering procedures to protect every taxpayer from discrimination. Were these the Majority’s only objectives, today’s unprecedented political theatre would never have occurred. Instead, the Committee could have transmitted documents by public letter to the Attorney General, offering to tender under seal to a properly designated Justice official the few relevant documents designated as private under IRS 6103.
We regret that Chairman Camp has used the Ways and Means Committee as an arm of the Republican political operation.
With adoption of the motion for transcript disclosure accepted by Chairman Camp, we expect the transcript of today’s proceeding to be made available to the public in the very near future.
