The IRS has been “weaponized” since at least FDR. It is probably the most feared agency in the federal government. It’s nice to see a taxpayer winning a battle, but the war was lost long ago. From Tyler Durden at zerohedge.com:
House Republicans on the GOP’s “weaponization” subcommittee said in a Friday report that the IRS has agreed to end its “abusive” policy of surprise visits to taxpayers’ homes following pressure from the panel.
“The Committee’s and Select Subcommittee’s oversight revealed, and led to the swift end of, the IRS’s weaponization of unannounced field visits to harass, intimidate, and target taxpayers,” reads the report. “Taxpayers can now rest assured the IRS will not come knocking without providing prior notice—something that should have been the IRS’s practice all along.”
The IRS announced in July that it would end most unannounced agent visits to the homes of Americans, citing security concerns.
But it also came after the agency engaged in what appeared to be witness intimidation, after visiting the New Jersey home of journalist Matt Taibbi on the same day he appeared before Congress to testify on government abuse.
Following the incident, Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) demanded answers from the IRS, writing “In light of the hostile reaction to Mr. Taibbi’s reporting among left-wing activists, and the IRS’s history as a tool of government abuse, the IRS’s action could be interpreted as an attempt to intimidate a witness before Congress.“
Yeah, a victory of sorts, but the desire and machinery to assuage that desire still awaits further opportunities. Still, we take what we can get!
On the other hand, by agreeing to “cease and desist,” the IRS avoided having the paper trail proving what is only circumstantial evidence exposed!
We’ll eventually get our unalloyed victory, but until then it will only be silver-lining ones.