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Major Update! Clinton, Key Congressional Democrats Sued for Instigating Attempted IRS Audit Judicial Watch has uncovered what conservative columnist Bob Novak called a "smoking gun" in its case against the IRS -- documents that prove its 1998 attempted audit of Judicial Watch was politically motivated. Specifically, the documents show that Democrat leaders of Congress, Bill Clinton and the Clinton White House successfully pressured the supposedly "independent" agency to target Judicial Watch a process that continues today under the Bush Administration. "There is now evidence that the audit of [Judicial Watch] was triggered by the [Clinton] White House," wrote Bob Novak in his column entitled, IRS Reveals Smoking Gun. "The background of other such audits might yield other smoking guns, if Congress or the Bush Administration were interested enough to investigate." Among the 1,500 pages of documents released to Judicial Watch on July 8th was an e-mail sent from the Clinton White House to the IRS, which read, "I have received solicitation for funds and a questionnaire from Larry Klayman of Judicial Watch. They have targeted you and the Vice President. My question is how can this obviously partisan organization be classified as tax-exempt under 501 (c)(3). I think you and your wife have done a great job in spite of the partisan attacks against both of you." The message was sent to the IRS from the White House on September 14, 1998 and was immediately forwarded to Commissioner Charles Rossotti¹s office. Two weeks later JW received its first notice of an IRS audit. It is illegal and criminal for Bill Clinton, or any member of the Executive Branch, to directly or indirectly request an IRS audit. In addition to pressure from the Clinton White House, prominent Democrats in Congress also pushed the IRS to investigate JW. Clinton apologist and New York Rep. Charles Rangel, who described himself in his letter as the "Ranking Democrat" on the House Ways and Means Committee, questioned the IRS as to whether or not JW was entitled to tax-exempt status. In response to Rangel’s complaint, Marcus Owens, who ran the Exempt Organizations Division for the IRS, improperly implied that JW was under IRS examination. "We have forwarded the information you provided to the key district with examination jurisdiction over these organizations," Owens replied. In addition to Rangel, Senators Richard Bryan of Nevada, Tom Harkin of Iowa and Virginia Rep. Jim Moran, among others, also lodged complaints with the IRS about JW. "For four years the Clintons and the IRS illegally withheld these documents, and now we know why," said JW President Tom Fitton. "There can be no dispute. Bill Clinton and Democrat leaders of Congress wanted JW put out of business and they pushed the IRS to make it happen. We hope this evidence will finally prod the Bush administration to put an end to the politically motivated attempted audit of Judicial Watch but we¹re not holding our breath." Inexplicitedly the Bush administration has left Clinton’s IRS Commissioner, Charles Rossotti, in power. "We must therefore act alone to bring the criminals to justice," Fitton concluded. Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit against Bill Clinton and seven Democrat members of Congress on August 19th in a Washington, D.C. federal court. The lawsuit alleges a conspiracy to violate JW’s First, Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights. A copy of this lawsuit along with all the latest news is available at www.JudicialWatch.org.
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