IRS Commissioner John Koskinen Does Not Think an Apology is Owed to Congress or We the People

The height of contempt and arrogance … IRS Commissioner John Koskinen does not think that an apology is owed for the lost Lois Lerner emails and the stonewalling by the IRS.  Koskinen said he didn’t inform Congress immediately because he wanted to find out the full scope of the situation before reporting to them. But some how the Treasury Department and White House were notified in advance of Congress and the American people.

Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen said Friday that he does not owe an apology for computer crashes that resulted in the loss of emails connected to an ongoing probe.

“I don’t think an apology is owed,” Koskinen said during a tense hearing with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. “Not a single email has been lost since the start of this investigation.”

Last week, the IRS acknowledged that the computer of Lois Lerner, the IRS employee at the center of the probe, experienced a hard drive crash in 2011, making some of her emails inaccessible for the investigation. Koskinen said the IRS is taking measures to restore the emails and noted that the loss took place before the investigation began.

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) says during Friday’s House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the IRS scandal of targeting conservative non-profit organizations and the convenient IRS losing of Lois Lerners’s emails … “This is unbelievable. The apology that ought to be given is to the American tax payer, not to a government agency that is abusing it’s power.

Audiance Gasps at House Ways and Means Committee Hearing When IRS Commissioner John Koskinen Admits Lois Lerner’s Missing Hard Drive Was Recycled & Destroyed

House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp  said in his opening statement, “We are missing a huge piece of the puzzle. How convenient for the IRS and the administration.”

During Friday’s House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the IRS conservative targeting scandal, audible gasps could be heard in the room from the audience as IRS Commissioner John Koskinen told Congress that Lois Lerner’s hard drive was recycled and destroyed. Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), House Ways and Means Committee Chair questioned IRS Commissioner Koskinen on the condition and location of Lois Lerner’s hard drive. When asked by Camp whether the IRS Commissioner knew where Lerner’s hard drive was Koskinen responded, “after it was determined that it was dysfunctional and that with experts no emails could be retrieved was recycled and destroyed.” When further pressed as to where the hard drive was Koskinen responded, “I have no idea what the recycler does with it. This was three years ago.”

Imagine saying the same to an IRS agent during an audit, I have no idea where the data was, that was 7 years ago.

Transcript of discussion between US Representative and House Ways and Means Committee Chair Dave Camp (R-MI):

Rep. Camp: Do you know where the actual hard drive is that crashed in 2011?

IRS Commissioner Koskinen: I am advised that the actual hard drive after it was determined that it was dysfunctional and that with experts no emails could be retrieved was recycled and destroyed in the normal process.”

GASPS from the audiance

Rep. Camp: So was it physically destroyed?

IRS Commissioner Koskinen: That is my understanding.

Rep. Camp: So was it melted down do you know?

IRS Commissioner Koskinen: I have no idea what the recycler does with it. This was three years ago.

19 Year Old Lance Cpl. US Marine Brandon Garabrant Prevented from Wearing His Marine Uniform During High School Graduation Last Year Has Been Killed In Afghanistan

These are the heroes that make up our US military … sadly we have lost another and so young.

19 year old US Marine Lance Cpl. Brandon Garabrant was killed by a roadside bomb Friday morning in Afghanistan. Just last hear Brandon Garabrant the powers that be at ConVal Regional High School in Peterborough, New Hampshire prevented Garabrant from wearing his Marine uniform at graduation. Garabrant was also a volunteer firefighter in Temple, New Hampshire. Thank you for your service and ultimate sacrifice. May you forever Rest in Peace.

Lance Cpl. US Marine Brandon Garabrant…Rest in Peace

A Marine from New Hampshire has been killed in Afghanistan.

Lance Cpl. Brandon Garabrant, 19, was one of three U.S. service members killed by a roadside bomb Friday morning.

“The entire State of New Hampshire is devastated by the tragic loss of Lance Corporal Brandon Garabrant, who was bravely serving his nation in Afghanistan,” Governor Maggie Hassan said in a statement. “Our service men and women courageously sacrifice every day to protect their fellow citizens and defend the enduring value of freedom that is our very core, and in doing so, Lance Corporal Garabrant made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Garabrant graduated from ConVal Regional High School in Peterborough last year. He had requested to wear his uniform during graduation, but the school did not allow it.

More on the death of Lance Cpl. US Marine Brandon Garabrant who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Before becoming a Marine, Garabrant was a volunteer member of the Temple Fire Department, a police Explorer with the Peterborough Police Department and worked at Touchstone Farm in Temple.
In a statement, Gov. Maggie Hassan said the state was devastated by Garabrant’s death.

“As a volunteer firefighter and dedicated Marine, Lance Corporal Garabrant was committed to serving his fellow citizens, and he was tragically taken from us far too soon,” she said. “It is our responsibility as Granite Staters and Americans to come together to support his family and his community.”

Members of the congressional delegation also said the state would honor Garabrant.

“Our hearts are broken by the loss of Lance Corporal Brandon Garabrant, a true American hero who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country that he loved,” Sen. Kelly Ayotte said.

“Lance Corporal Brandon Garabrant was a hero in every sense of the word. He valiantly served our country and epitomized the bravery and sacrifice of every member of our armed forces for which we will be forever grateful,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said.

Rep. Paul Ryan Says to Arrogant IRS Commissioner John Koskinen … “I DON’T BELIEVE YOU!”

ONCE AGAIN THE IRS SHOWS CONTEMPT FOR WE THE PEOPLE AND DISPLAY THEY THINK THEY ARE ABOVE THE LAW …

US Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) ripped into IRS Commissioner John Koskinen during yesterday’s Ways and Means Committee Hearing on the investigation of the IRS targeting conservative non-profit groups and more specifically, the sudden revelation that former IRS head Lois Lerner’s emails disappeared due to a convenient hard drive crash. Ryan said to the arrogant and defiant  IRS Commissioner, “I don’t Believe You”.

It’s about time some one put the IRS in its place and defended the American people against this rogue agency.

“You are the Internal Revenue Service. You can reach into the lives of hardworking tax payers and with a phone call, an email or letter you can turn their lives upside down. You ask tax payers to hang on to 7 years of their person tax information in case they are ever audited and you cant keep 6 months worth of employee emails? And now that we are seeing this investigation you don’t have the emails, hard drives crashed. You learned about this months ago and you just told us and we had to ask you on Monday. This is not being forthcoming, this is being misleading again. This is a pattern of abuse, a pattern that does not give us any confidence that this agency is being impartial. I don’t believe you.”

VIDEO Hat Tip: The Gateway Pundit

The Politico:

A defiant IRS Commissioner on Friday refused to apologize for the loss of ex-IRS official Lois Lerner’s emails, and said the agency produced what they could, at a combative hearing marked by accusations by Republicans of IRS deceit.

The meeting comes a week after the agency revealed that two years worth of emails to and from Lerner, the ex-official at the center of the tea party targeting controversy, were lost when her hard drive crashed in 2011.

“I don’t think an apology is owed,” chief John Koskinen told Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp after the Republican lawmaker asked for one at the first hearing on the email issue.

But of course the IRS claims they did not conceal anything and did not mislead the committee yet, as discussed at Hot Air, the White House notified of missing IRS e-mail 6 weeks before Congress?

Remember when IRS Commissioner John Koskinen testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform on March 26, 2014 and told Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) during the hearing that former IRS employee Lois Lerner’s emails were archived and not just necessarily in her sent box in Outlook. Koskinen said it would take a long time even as he argued whether he would would would not comply with the House subpoena.

Chaffetz asks IRS Commissioner: “Are you going to comply with subpoena?”

Watergate IRS-gate is a long way from over and the rate this is going with the Obama administration and their cronies attempting to stonewall and have the American people believe the improbable and the impossible, it is going to come to a head right around the 2016 elections.

Congressman Charlie Rangel Compares Tea Party To Hamas Terrorists (AUDIO)

If there was aver a reason for term limits or competency tests for politicians, the below audio of Charles Rangel is exhibit one.

In an interview expected to air tonight on Talkline Communications with Zev Brenner, Congressman Charlie Rangel (D-NY) compared the Tea Party to the Hamas terrorist group. Really Charlie, comparing the Tea Party to a terrorists group who kills innocent people? In a discussing with Rangel, who could barely make sense and struggled to connect the dots,  Rangel went on to say that the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party is equivalent to the Hamas terror group as part of the newly created Palestinian unity government.

Who knew the the principles of Our Founding Fathers were like Hamas? In the mind of a radical Leftist like Rangel, Constitutional Conservatives are terrorists. Who knew that a balanced budget, being fiscally responsible and spending withing your means with no deficit spending, protecting free markets, eliminating the national debt, eliminating excessive taxes and allowing the people spend their money not the federal government, reducing the size of government, promoting  civic responsibility and actually abiding by the United States Constitution was a terrorist act?

And Rangel says you can’t talk rationally to the Tea Party, eh? Sadly, this 84 year old fossil ethically challenged and tax cheat has been a Congressman since 1971 and will be reelected again.

JP Updates:

“We know that these victims these kids are being held by people that have no moral standards… the question is how do we handle these types of people who don’t mind dying. They hate so much that they don’t mind dying themselves,” Rangel asserted. “And you have to admit this complex to have someone to think that attacking human beings and innocent by missiles, and destroying the lives of children that they are going to get some reward after they die. That’s worst than the tea Party’s thinking.”

At this point, the radio host interrupted the congressman, “You can’t compare the Tea Party to Palestinian terrorists!”

“Well, i am just saying that is a cult type of thinking-its’ a poor analogy when you talk about terrorism-but when you talk about not recognizing the United States as a nation, not recognizing the president, trying to repeal bills that are already law and sticking to the principles of the civil war, you know these are people that you cannot talk rationally to and the president can’t,” Rangel explained the comparison. “And at some point, if the Palestinians come to the table and say they can’t control the people in the backroom, the same way Republicans say they can’t control the Tea Party — the Republican Party would no longer exits because they can’t control the Tea Party — and the Palestinian Authority… if they believe in this partnership with terrorists.. then they cannot come to the table.. You cannot talk to a person who says their primary goal is to have you distinguished. There is no conversation there.”

UPDATE 17:30:

“Comparing a vicious terrorist organization responsible for the murder of innocent civilians, including children to the Tea Party is offensive to the families of Hamas’ victims and to all Americans and Israelis,” Espaillat supporter Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz told JP. “I find the Tea Party beneath contempt and disagree with their extremist policies on every issue, but it is reckless to put them in the same category as Hamas. I am surprised that the Congressman would make such a senseless statement.”

“This comparison minimizes the magnitude of the evil acts of Hamas and should be retracted,” Dinowitz added.