DeLay and Sam Johnson (R-Plano) use IRS for political retaliation

[sonias]

This shouldn't surprise anyone. We are talking DeLay after all. Tom "King of Corruption" DeLay who thinks "he is the Government" and used Homeland Security to try to track down the Texas Democrats that fled the state to prevent a quorum on the re-redistricting. One of three ethics violation he actually got slapped on the wrist for by the pathetic excuse of the House ethics committee.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/nation/02/27delay.html
Nonprofit critical of DeLay alleges that IRS audit was political retaliation
Tax inquiry, prompted by ally of former House majority leader, finds no wrongdoing by Texans for Public Justice

Monday, February 27, 2006

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service recently audited the books of a Texas nonprofit group that was critical of campaign spending by U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, after receiving a request for the audit from one of DeLay's political allies in the House.

The lawmaker, House Ways and Means Committee member Sam Johnson, R-Plano, was responding to a complaint about the Austin-based group, Texans for Public Justice, from Barnaby Zall, a Washington lawyer close to DeLay and his fundraising apparatus, according to IRS documents.

Johnson, a member of the subcommittee responsible for oversight of the tax agency, sparked the IRS' interest by telling IRS Commissioner Mark Everson in a letter dated Aug. 3, 2004, that he had "uncovered some disturbing information" and received complaints of possible tax violations.

Johnson said he was sure the IRS would follow up. "I ask you to report back your findings of each of these investigations directly to me," he told Everson in the letter, according to a copy The Washington Post obtained.

The IRS sent two auditors last year to comb the 2003 books of Texans for Public Justice and an affiliated foundation that collected donations for the organization. No tax violations were found, according to a letter the IRS sent the group.

They can't stand it when other people play by the rules and still expose their corruption. Sam Johnson and Tom DeLay are scum from the same pond. :mad:

Sonia

[Lithos]

1. This doesn't surprise me

They are definitely cut from the same cloth. Unfortunately, he's in probably the safest district of all for a dishonest puke and likely to remain long after Delay has gone.

L-

[Texas_Kat]

2. The world's turned upside down

When you start feeling sorry for the IRS.

They gotta respond, but you know they had to be rolling their eyes.

[Baby Snooks]

16. Twisting the arm a little

He no doubt used his position to make sure an audit was conducted for the sole purpose of harassing this one organization and intimidating others. Shades of Nixon.

The IRS however is beginning to look at the situation and an audit of organizations against which complaints had been filed regarding political activity during the 2004 campaigns revealed that 3/4ths of the organizations had violated the "political activity" rule. I believe three organizations have had their tax-exempt status revoked. And more may be revoked as well. They have always treaded very carefully with regard to churches and church-affiliated organizations. But according to a report just released, they may not be treading so softly in the future. They are paying a lot of attention to the 527 organizations.

http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=154622,00.html

It would be nice if one of "our" congressmen or senators would file an inquiry into Tom De Lay's organizations and ask for an audit. I wonder if anyone has?

[MagickMuffin]

17. Another article concerning the IRS investigations,

of charities and churches

I sure would like to know which 3 organizations they found in violation!

IRS examinations found nearly three out of four churches, charities and other civic groups suspected of having violated restraints on political activity in the 2004 election actually did so, the agency said Friday.

The IRS examined 110 organizations referred to the tax agency for potential violations, and 28 cases remain open.

Among 82 closed cases, the IRS found prohibited politicking and sent a written warning to 55 organizations and assessed a penalty tax against one group. Those organizations included 37 churches and 19 other organizations.

In the three additional cases in which the IRS recommended revoking tax-exempt status, none of the organizations were churches. The agency did not identify the three.

Among the prohibited activities, the examiners found that charities and churches distributed printed material supporting a preferred candidate and assembled improper voter guides or candidate ratings. Other charities and churches had made improper cash contributions to a candidate's political campaign.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/2006-02-24-irs-charities-political_x.htm

[Baby Snooks]

18. Oh, they'll be listed you just won't know which ones

The IRS publishes a list of revocations. I'm not sure how often it's updated. This is the list from the past year.

http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=141466,00.html

[MagickMuffin]

3. Boy are these guys Cocky

I think the IRS should be investigating the GOP, Bob Perry, and the churches they so often love to court for votes!

Johnson said he was sure the IRS would follow up. "I ask you to report back your findings of each of these investigations directly to me," he told Everson in the letter, according to a copy The Washington Post obtained.

IRS spokesman Terry Lemons said federal law barred him from providing a detailed response. But he said, "The IRS makes its audit decisions based on the law. Political considerations do not play a role. We are an agency of career civil servants," excluding Everson and the IRS chief counsel.

Zall's biography on his law firm's Web site said he was "of counsel" from 1990 to 1998 to the Williams & Jensen law firm, which has long represented De- Lay's leadership political action committee, Americans for a Republican Majority.

Zall on Friday declined to say whether he had done legal work for the committee. He said he was not representing the committee when he wrote his letter.

Zall said he could not recall why he became involved but added that "maybe somebody said something to me."

[sonias]

4. "Political considerations do not play a role"

Yes, MagickMuffin, that part caught my eye too. Just like political considerations didn't play a role at DOJ, when the political appointees in the department overruled the career employees who ruled that the Texas re-districting was illegal.
:sarcasm:

I'm sure that the political appointees at the IRS are equally as non-partisan as those at DOJ.

You think the somebody that said something to Zall, might be DeLay? I'd bet on it.

I do want to add the the great folks at Texans for Public Justice do a great job on a minuscule budget. It was this group that caught DeLay's use of illegal corporate funding of the 2002 Texas races by TRMPAC and TAB. A big thanks to Craig McDonald and his crew! And if you ever have any spare money burning a hole in your pocket, give it up to TPJ. http://www.tpj.org/index.jsp

I just went over to their site and read that TPJ Director Craig McDonald was selected by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of it's fifteen "Mavericks, Renegades and Troublemakers of 2005." McDonald is joined by Mick Jagger, George Clooney, Cindy Sheehan, Congressman John Murtha and other notables.
:applause::applause::applause:

"This audit was political retaliation by Tom DeLay's cronies to intimidate us for blowing the whistle on DeLay's abuses," McDonald said. "Enlisting the IRS to intimidate critics is a dirty trick reminiscent of Richard Nixon. . . . It is not a crime to report a crime, as we did with DeLay."

Dirty DeLay is the Tricky Dick of today!

Sonia

[MagickMuffin]

7. I've heard a rumor that the USSC,

is suppose to hear arguments concerning the re-districting scam this week.

I really don't have a lot of faith in their decision, considering they disenfranchised the whole state of FL.:eyes:

[moc]

5. Do we have any hope of unseating Johnson? He's my

Congresscritter, and I'm so sick of him, I could :puke:.

[MagickMuffin]

6. Looks like he has a Repub opponent, as well as a Dem

Democratic candidate Dan Dodd

http://www.dandoddforcongress.us/

Republican congressional candidate Bob Johnson is his primary opponent

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16060383&BRD=1426&PAG=461&dept_id=528208&rfi=6

Looks as though you have a choice.

Edit to add this link:

http://polstate.com/?p=4433

Interesting site about candidates.

[moc]

9. Thanks, Magick! I didn't realize Johnson had a Repub challenger

I was curious as to why Johnson has signs popping up for the primary. I haven't seen any signs for Bob Johnson, but now it makes sense that Sam is posting signs.

Thanks for the info!

[MagickMuffin]

15. Glad to help

Maybe the Repubs will be confused by Johnson Vs Johnson:rofl:

[sonias]

8. moc, I agree with MagicMuffin

Get out there and work for Dodd, he's our candidate. Anything is possible with good hard work. This is the year of the challenger.

Sonia

[moc]

10. You know, Sonia, I've met Dan Dodd a couple of times, and I just

don't know if he's got what it takes. Honestly, he didn't fire me up.

My husband and I are having a really hard time getting involved in the Collin County Democratic Party. He's gone to a number of their meetings, we've put our names on lists detailing what we'd be willing to do. I've gone to meetings. I gave Dodd my name/# and told him what issues I could help him on. I went to that 50 state plan roundup (the one organized by the DNC a few months back) and submitted the forms to get involved. My husband even offered to be precinct chair, something he'd be GREAT at. My husband is the kind of guy who could go door to door in this very red county and carry the Dem message. He's got great people skills and not afraid to say what needs to be said. Nobody ever contacts us. I'm at a loss as to what else we can do. :shrug:

[sonias]

11. How about you run next time, or your husband runs

moc don't give up. I understand being frustrated when you volunteer to help, and the candidate is so overwhelmed they don't know what to do. Take the bull by the horns so to speak, and do it yourself. Did your husband file to be precinct chair? That election happens on March 7th, so if he's on the ballot, your first job is to get him elected. Make sure your precinct neighbors know he's running. You can continue to organize at least your precinct. You can work that for the party, and it can benefit Dodd too, whether he's directly involved or not.

Good luck to you out in Collin County, you are not alone!

Sonia

[moc]

13. Thanks Sonia. Just so you get an idea of how clueless we are...(m)

I didn't even know you had to run for precinct chair! :D I went to that 50 state roundup thing, and they were saying "Hey, if you want to be precinct chair, just fill out this form!" So, I asked dh if he'd be willing and he said sure. I filled out the paperwork, sent it off, and nada.

I've never been that involved although dh usually volunteers during presidential elections (working phone banks and the sort). Actually, we met during the 1988 elections, albeit not in a political setting. Dh was campaigning for Dukakis, and it's when we got chatting about politics that I realized we were sympatico, if you know what I mean. ;-)

Of course, getting careers started and raising kids has gotten in the way of a lot of involvement (and moving to this very red area from a blue state didn't help). However, the outrages of this last 5 years have driven us both to the decision that we have to get involved.

Thanks again, Sonia. I'm going to follow up on the info from Crispini.

:-)

[crispini]

12. I am sorry to hear that.

I think that sometimes the county parties do make it a bit harder than it should be to get involved. Blame a combination of all-volunteer people, a little disorganization, and yes, maybe a dash of "insularity" as well.

Check your PM....

[moc]

14. Thanks so much, Crispini!