Here's a good one. Imagine the outcry if President Bush had used the IRS to audit liberal organizations?
Clinton uses IRS Audits to Attack Critics
Liberation Journal (21/6/5000)
Bill Clinton has abused his power and has used the IRS as attack dogs against his enemies. Under his administration the IRS has conducted audits on numerous individuals and organizations who are critics of the Clinton administration and its agenda.
Joseph Farah, who's Western Journalism Center was one of the targets of the audits, wrote, "Just one day after his re-election as president, Clinton told his political supporters in Arkansas that he would devote a lot of time in his second term to going after detractors who pursued him on Whitewater and other ethical questions. He also called political attackers "a cancer" and vowed to "cut (them) out of American politics."" (2)
The 331-page "Communication Stream of Conspiracy Commerce" report, a political document produced and distributed at taxpayer expense, was compiled by the White House counsel's office in '96 and was in effect an "enemies list". Farah said, "It alleged that three tiny news agencies -- the Western Journalism Center, the conservative American Spectator and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review -- served as the source of a "media food chain" on various and sundry Clinton scandals." (1)
Among those who have been audited was the Heritage Foundation who said that a person close to the Clinton administration made accusations against the Foundation that led to the IRS audit, the person who made the accusations was anonymous or the name was censored. What were the accusations? Unknown or undisclosed. What happened to the right to confront your accuser, to be told of the charges against you and to have the opportunity to defend yourself against them? Oh, yes, now I remember, Congress declared that the Constitution doesn't apply to the IRS. The Clinton administration displays not only personal arrogance that they can get away with anything but they are so arrogant as to blatantly abuse their power while trampling on fundamental constitutional protections.
The audit on the Heritage Foundation has cost them "more than $200,000 in attorneys fees so far" and has taken "at least 500 hours of heritage staff time" which could have been spent promoting their ideas and opposing the Clinton agenda. This is obviously a tactic of political warfare to tie up their enemies' resources so they are rendered less effective.
The Christian Coalition was not only audited but in an unprecedented move the IRS announced that the organization was being stripped of its tax-exempt status simply for providing information to the voters about candidates in their voter guides. This was completely outrageous and discriminatory. Many other non-profit organizations on the left, middle and right issue voter guides or otherwise provide information to voters on the issues and candidates, none of these organizations lost their tax-exempt status. The IRS had no right to do this, and federal judge agreed, and reversed the IRS decision and reinstated the tax exempt status of the Christian Coalition.
Western Journalism Center was targeted for an audit because of its articles critical of Bill Clinton and his administration. Joseph Farah who heads the Center said, "When the IRS field agent came knocking on our door, he was quite open about the motivations for the audit. "This is a political case, and the decision is going to be made at the national level," he told our accountant."
Other conservative organizations being audited include the National Rifle Association, Citizens against Government Waste, the American Spectator and the National Review.
Individuals who have been targeted for audits just happen to include women who have charged Clinton with sexual misconduct; Paula Jones, Gennifer Flowers, Juanita Broaddrick, the woman who accused him of rape as well as Elizabeth Ward Gracen and Billy Dale.
Gregory Flanagan
libertocracy.com |
