Turner calls for IRS actions to be made criminal

Congressman Mike Turner, R-Dayton, a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement concerning reports that the Justice Department has selected one of President Obama’s campaign supporters to lead their investigation into the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) targeting of conservative groups:

"The IRS discriminated against groups and individuals based upon their political affiliation when making audit and investigation decisions. Now, the Justice Department asserts that it would violate an employee’s constitutional rights if their political affiliation or political contributions were considered in assigning the responsibility to oversee the IRS’s political wrongdoing. Clearly the administration cannot effectively oversee the investigation if the investigator is political,” said Turner.

In responding to questions about the selection of Barbara Kay Bosserman to lead the criminal probe into the IRS targeting, the Department stated, “It is contrary to department policy and a prohibited personnel practice under federal law to consider the political affiliation of career employees or other non-merit factors in making personnel decisions.”

“This appointment illustrates why political discrimination by the IRS should be made criminal. As a result I introduced the Taxpayer Nondiscrimination and Protection Act last year that would criminalize such an action and punish those who unfairly target groups based on their beliefs or political leanings.” Turner said.

Following a May 2013 report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Turner introduced H.R. 1950, the Taxpayer Nondiscrimination and Protection Act.

Turner’s legislation has the support of over 100 House Members and would do just that – make it a crime for the IRS to target individuals and groups based on their political affiliation.

Senator Marco Rubio introduced the companion legislation, S. 941, in the Senate.

The criminal punishment under the bill would allow the federal government to impose a fine, up to five years imprisonment, or both – which is identical to the maximum imprisonment for a member of the president's cabinet who directs an employee to take that sort of action.