The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

The ‘Missing’ IRS Emails

Posted on | June 22, 2014 | 22 Comments

It’s a cover-up — obstruction of justice — and everybody knows it, because the subpoenaed e-mails simply cannot be “lost”:

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said it can’t provide emails sent between 2009 and 2011 that were requested by congressional investigators because of hard drive crashes.
The agency said that emails stored on dead drives were lost forever because its email backup tapes were recycled every six months, and employees were responsible for keeping their own long-term archives.
The IRS had a contract with email backup service vendor Sonasoft starting in 2005, according to FedSpending.org, which lists the contract as being for “automatic data processing services.” Sonasoft’s motto is “email archiving done right,” and the company lists the IRS as a customer.
In 2009, Sonasoft even sent out a Tweet advertising its work for the IRS.

We therefore know for a fact that the e-mails could not have been accidentally “lost.” We also know for a fact that Lois Lerner’s hard-drive was erased within 10 days of a letter being sent from House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp inquiring about the targeting of conservative groups by the IRS. We furthermore know for a fact that Nikole Flax — the former chief of staff to the IRS director, whose e-mails were also supposedly “lost” — visited the White House 35 times after Flax talked to Lerner about targeting conservative groups.

So, here you have a scandal where the smoking guns are just piled up in plain sight for everyone to see, and yet the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Associated Press are all pretending that this is not actually a scandal. It’s as if they’re competing to win a Pulitzer Prize for Best Non-Reporting of an Impeachable Offense.

 

Category: Scandal, Taxes

Comments

22 Responses to “The ‘Missing’ IRS Emails”

  1. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 9:08 am

    George Will suggests Congress does this… It might work, but it would require a Speak of the House with some balls to do it…

  2. Daniel O'Brien
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 9:23 am

    Well, that leaves Cry Baby Boehner out.

  3. rambler
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 9:47 am

    So now the IRS needs to be asked when were the emails and hard drives destroyed, since the IRS won’t offer info until asked specific questions.

  4. McCarthy GOP Majority Leader Rule 5 | Batshit Crazy News
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 10:31 am

    […] these compromising positions–and who knows where the Speaker is shoving his hands)! Update: Given the White House is just flaunting it now, how do you stop a lawless President? You may need more than a […]

  5. Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup » Pirate's Cove
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 10:47 am

    […] The Other McCain notes that the IRS had a contract with an email backup company […]

  6. Misanthrope
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 11:09 am

    Something few have pointed out: There’s 2 sides to every e-mail. The IRS might not have the e-mails Lerner sent and received, but whoever was on the other end should.

  7. ontheleftcoast
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 11:29 am

    The latest is that the IRS cancelled the backup contract a few weeks after Lerner’s “crash.”

    It looks as though there wasn’t perjury before Congress. It took a lot of work to make sure those emails were good and lost.

  8. Matt_SE
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 11:36 am

    Congress should quit with the kabuki of Koskinen’s testimony. He’s the monkey; go to the organ grinders: the IRS IT department.
    Koskinen can credibly claim ignorance of IT procedures and the current state of affairs, the IT department cannot.

    Let’s see if the techs are willing to stick their necks out for the suits. I’m betting “no.”

  9. The Daley Gator | WEll, at least the administration is finally being transparent
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 12:54 pm

    […] The IRS Email fiasco has finally given the regime some actual transparency. The truth, as ugly as it is, is very plain to see  […]

  10. OldmanRick
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 1:48 pm

    There’s a twofold problem – Holder at the department of Jerks and Harry Reid sitting on his throne in the senate. Yes, the House can institute the articles of impeachment, but the DOJ has to get involved and the senate would hold the trial. Remember Clinton?

  11. On Voting Republicans Out Of Office - Page 447
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 1:56 pm

    […] if they’re competing to win a Pulitzer Prize for Best Non-Reporting of an Impeachable Offense. http://theothermccain.com/2014/06/22/the-missing-irs-emails/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=t… 0 Replies   GA_googleFillSlot("a2kTopicLeaderboardEnd"); […]

  12. Kirby McCain
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 3:13 pm

    The House needs to make huge cuts to the Treasury and IRS. They need to make the message loud and clear, you will be responsible to the peoples House and the taxpayers of the country or we will strangle your ass into extinction.

  13. WarEagle82
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 3:26 pm

    If they were recycling backup tapes every six months they were violating virtually every law and regulation in existence.

    If there were a real Department of Justice they would simply call the IRS and ask the which charges they would like to go to jail for.

    Of course, virtually all of the current DOJ should be up on criminal charges as well right now so this is another case of who watches the watchers…

  14. Ergo
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 3:53 pm

    I’ve been screaming this from my dark, lonely, cell since this (apparent non) story broke, i.e. put the hammer and tongs to the geeks, they will crack the second a congressman floats the idea of a felony conviction.

  15. Adjoran
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 4:09 pm

    We would have leverage if we take the Senate. But Reid isn’t going to even allow work on a budget this year, so it’s a CR or a shutdown.

  16. Adjoran
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 4:10 pm

    The law provides a mandatory five year sentence for each record not preserved.

    Unfortunately there is also a five year statute of limitations which, in the cases of Lerner, Flax, and the others, will expire shortly before the next President takes the oath.

  17. Daniel O'Brien
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 7:48 pm

    Yup. These separation of powers has a flaw in the AG office, appointed by the bastard he’s supposed to investigate.

  18. RKae
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 9:44 pm

    That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Emails get bounced around several times before landing in your in-box.

    They exist in a whole LOT o’ different places.

  19. RKae
    June 22nd, 2014 @ 9:45 pm

    Timing is everything in comedy.

  20. Bob Belvedere
    June 23rd, 2014 @ 9:07 pm

    You’re assuming GOPers like Issa want the Truth to come out.

    What if there are a few Republican Leadership fingerprints on this?

  21. Bob Belvedere
    June 23rd, 2014 @ 9:07 pm

    Shut It Down.

  22. FMJRA 2.0: Stuff Like That : The Other McCain
    June 28th, 2014 @ 9:31 pm

    […] The ‘Missing’ IRS Emails […]