Thursday, May 23, 2013

The scandal involving the IRS is not an Obama problem. It is a Congressional problem.

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I originally wrote this as a Facebook article. I thought it needed wider distribution. You need to know the facts behind the IRS scandal going on in Washington, D.C.

Some information on the so-called IRS scandal.

An interesting fact came up in the hearings today about the IRS and the 501(c)4 groups who have been under investigation. Apparently, because of a change in the wording of the law, this investigation process, determining the amount of political versus social action by a group claiming tax exempt status has been going on since 1959. If my understanding of history is correct that was the Eisenhower administration not the Obama administration.

The problems lies in the changing of Congress's wording that a 501(c)4 group must provide social services exclusively. It has been against the law sine 1959 to engage in political activity from a 501(c)4, but due to a legal screw up by the acting administrator of the IRS under IKE, the 501(c)4 groups have been allowed 49% of their contributions to be used for political purposes.

That, is against the law.

The investigation of the NAACP, NFL, Labor Unions, Churches and ACORN by the IRS are part and partial of the same investigations arising from the onslaught of hundreds of new applications from Tea Party affiliated groups claiming 501(c) 4 status. The law that was broken began 50 years ago by misinterpreting the Law Congress wrote to maintain control over tax-exempt status groups. Again, way before President Obama ever took office.

I believe there is a scandal. Allowing the IRS, fifty years ago to change the law without a vote from Congress and to undermine the original intent of the law, is wrong and should be corrected. That in and of itself would go a long way in challenging the basis of Citizen's United.

The IRS needs to get its act together. The committee investigating them does as well. This is not an Obama Administration problem...this is a Congressional problem for allowing their laws to be misinterpreted and used for the wrong means.

It is wrong to single out a group or groups of people to be audited by the IRS. But in this case, all groups involved with political fund raising and political speech are subject to audit because they are breaking the original law.

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