 |
 |
 |
|
|
BLOCKBUSTER SCANDAL! Clinton IRS Commissioner Attempts Unconstitutional Audit of JW Klayman: JW Fights IRS in Court on Behalf of JW Supporters Four days. That is exactly how long it took Bill Clinton to retaliate against Judicial Watch for its damning "Interim Report" which detailed the administration’s crimes and recommended the President’s impeachment. Four days after the historical report hit the Congressional Record on September 28, 1998 Judicial Watch received a letter from the IRS, stating that JW had been "selected" by the Clinton Administration's IRS for what would become one of the most invasive and unconstitutionally attempted audits in our nation's history. Since that day, Judicial Watch has invested more than $400,000 battling the IRS in court. Despite the overwhelming evidence of the political nature of the audit, Judicial Watch's request for a criminal investigation was denied by John Ashcroft’s Justice Department. Perhaps it is because JW is nonpartisan and regrettably has had to bring cases against the Bush Administration. While Judicial Watch has nothing to hide, and thus has no objection to a fair and honest audit of its accounts at the proper time and place, the IRS has been anything but fair and honest. Consider the following: The Attempted IRS Audit of JW is Politically Motivated "What do you expect when you sue the president?" That is what one arrogant IRS henchmen rhetorically asked Larry Klayman, in front of at least four witnesses who will swear to it under oath, during a closed-door meeting between parties. No one at the IRS has ever denied that this threat was made. Each victory earned by Judicial Watch in court against the Clinton Administration has brought with it a threat from the IRS. For example, in February 2000, JW client Sheryl Hall, then a White House employee, revealed under oath that the Clintons were hiding email evidence in the Filegate scandal and other cases. In retaliation, an IRS official in Baltimore, MD called to warn JW that the organization was still on the IRS "radar screen." After JW filed a complaint during summer 2001 against IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti for illegal business dealings between a company he owned and the IRS he controlled, Rossotti was forced to sell his stock. In retaliation, JW Chairman Larry Klayman received a letter requiring an additional 23 categories of documents to be produced. Rossotti, a Clinton appointee, incredibly still serves under President Bush. The Attempted IRS Audit of JW is Unconstitutional The IRS has requested that JW produce a list of its directors and their relationship to any political party. In other words, they wish to know, in violation of the United States Constitution, for whom Judicial Watch board members voted and all about their personal political activities. The IRS has also requested the names of every single JW supporter, along with the amounts donated. This request, while intended to scare JW’s donors, has absolutely no chance of standing up in court. The Ashcroft Justice Department’s Tax Division released a copy of a sealed complaint filed by JW against the IRS to an Internet tax site, Tax Analysts. Tax Analysts then published the document, which is a violation of federal law. The intent was to try to scare away current and potential donors to Judicial Watch and to, in effect, shut down the organization. The Attempted IRS Audit of JW is Invasive The IRS is seeking every single document ever produced by Judicial Watch in its eight-year history‹a request which would require more than two years and $1 million to fulfill, and would result in several truckloads of paperwork weighing more than two tons. (Incidentally, the number of years covered by the audit has grown each time JW refuses to yield to IRS pressure.) Judicial Watch would of course, under the circumstances, not be able to focus its attention on government corruption, which is the stated goal of the last two Administrations. IRS agent goons invaded JW's offices wearing IRS badges and announcing their presence in loud voices. Their professed purpose is to serve their legal papers, a process normally done privately through attorneys. Their true purpose is to scare JW’s loyal and unflappable staff. "Judicial Watch has no objection to IRS audits at the proper time and place, under correct, non-political circumstances," said JW Chairman Larry Klayman. "However, the evidence clearly shows that we are being targeted simply because of our work on behalf of the American people. This we cannot and will not tolerate." Judicial Watch is currently fighting its case in federal courts in the District of Columbia and Maryland. This case presents a unique opportunity to bring the Clinton IRS Commissioner Rosotti to justice and to clean up criminal activity by the IRS (see www.judicialwatch.org)
info@judicialwatch.org • 1-888-JW-ETHIC
Site hosting and technology by Cory Consulting, Inc. © 1997-2004, Judicial Watch, Inc., All rights reserved. |
