Time: Sun Mar 09 04:14:10 1997
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Date: Sun, 09 Mar 1997 03:35:32 -0800
To: (Recipient list suppressed)
From: Paul Andrew Mitchell [address in tool bar]
Subject: SLS: [TL] IRS denies politically motivated audits. (fwd)
<snip>
> WASHINGTON (AP) -- The IRS plans a confidential briefing for the
>chairmen of the House and Senate tax-writing panels to rebut allegations
>that conservative groups are the targets of politically motivated audits.
> Commissioner Margaret Milner Richardson said Wednesday that Sen.
>William V. Roth Jr., R-Del., and Rep. Bill Archer, R-Texas, have accepted
>her invitation to review the IRS' auditing of tax-exempt groups. Roth
>chairs the Senate Finance Committee; Archer heads the House Ways and Means
>Committee.
> In a move experts say is unprecedented, Richardson asked Roth and
>Archer for permission to publicly release confidential taxpayer
>information in order to correct factual errors or misstatements concerning
>the IRS audits. An Archer spokesman said that r equest is under review.
> Richardson told a House Appropriations subcommittee she was making the
>unusual request "because of my grave concern about the impact the
>allegations may have on the public's confidence in the integrity and
>impartiality of the IRS."
> "It's certainly very serious. I am very concerned about it," Richardson
>said.
> The IRS closely guards taxpayer information -- the law requires it --
>and generally releases tax returns only after receiving a written waiver
>from taxpayers or for referral to law enforcement agencies. Only a handful
>of senior Senate and House staff m embers have clearance to review
>confidential taxpayer information.
> Lou Carlow, national tax director for Coopers & Lybrand LLP in
>Washington, a former IRS executive who handled disclosure matters, said he
>couldn't recall any previous request by the IRS to distribute taxpayer
>information in order to clear its name.
> "What the commission is concerned about is this thing is continuous,"
>said Carlow, referring to the political audit allegations. "And it might
>undermine ... (IRS audits) if people believe the fact that people aren't
>being treated fairly and equally."
> Several published reports in recent months have accused the IRS of
>targeting conservative groups with audits to see if they were abusing
>their tax-exempt status by unlawfully engaging in political activities.
> There are nearly 20 different types of tax-exempt organizations, but
>those organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the tax law can't engage in
>partisan politics or provide benefits to any individual or group.
> Such questions about the IRS' impartiality arose during the House
>ethics committee investigation of House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., who
>was ordered to pay $300,000 penalty after making misleading statements
>about the financing of a college course h e taught. House investigators
>found Gingrich used tax-exempt groups to assist in campaign fund raising.
> In addition, several published reports and editorials have questioned
>whether an ongoing audit of the Heritage Foundation and others were
>politically motivated.
> Heritage Foundation spokesman John Von Kannon confirmed the group is
>being questioned by IRS auditors about whether it made an illegal
>corporate contribution to former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan.
> Dole signed a fund-raising letter for the conservative think tank in
>exchange for one-time use of the names of people who responded to the
>letter. Von Kannon said Heritage Foundation has worked out similar
>arrangements with other politicians "and the I RS has been fine with it."
> "We have not tried to charge this is politically motivated. We don't
>know what their motivation is," Van Kannon said.
> Several newspaper articles and editorials suggested the IRS probe of
>Heritage was politically tainted.
>
>!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!
> For comprehensive and easily understood information on how you
> can protect your property and assets from taxes, probate, lawsuits,
> government forfeiture or seizure, and other "statutory" means used
> to deprive you of what belongs to you, check out Asset Protection
>Services website at http://www.amug.org/~trusts right now before it's
>too late! Your owe it to yourself and your family to educate yourself.
>
> "The Constitution is a radical document... it is the job of the
> government to rein in people's rights." W.J.Clinton on MTV - 1992
>
>Democracy: Government by special interests, for special interests.
>Free Markets: Government of the People, by the People, for the People.
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Paul Andrew, Mitchell, B.A., M.S. : Counselor at Law, federal witness
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