Oberweis Still Waiting for Durbin to Crack Down on IRS Scandal

June 30, 2014 | Filed under: Elections,Federal | Posted by: Justin Shimko +

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US Sen. Candidate Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove

Nearly a week after calling for a special prosecutor to investigate the IRS scandal, State Sen. Jim Oberweis, who is running for US Senate, still hasn’t seen any action towards resolving the problem. This has led some to wonder if Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Springfield) will respond to the call, or ignore his involvement in calling for the IRS to investigate certain conservative groups.

“Dick Durbin said the IRS scandal was a serious matter and that we should get to the bottom of it,” Oberweis said. “I think he should agree that when crucial evidence turns up missing it is time to call in a special prosecutor.”

Oberweis (R-Sugar Grove) called for the special prosecutor after emails relating to Lois Lerner, former director of the IRS’ Exempt Organizations Unit, allegedly disappeared after her computer crashed. The IRS said it is unsure how many of the emails have been lost and that they are trying to recover them from the computers of those Lerner from whom she sent and received emails. Oberweis said that is unacceptable and that something more should be done to get to the bottom of the issue.

“Obviously, Lois Lerner knows more, but she does not seem to be willing to talk about it, even after pleading the Fifth, and having Congress find her in contempt of Congress,” Oberweis said in a statement. “Still nothing.”

The dairy magnate said the hearing on June 23 shows the tax-collection division of the government has no interest in discovering what exactly happened and how to fully rectify the problem. The issue stems from the realization in 2013 that certain groups with clear conservative backgrounds were flagged for additional scrutiny while liberal or progressive groups were approved at a higher rate. Only after Congressional scrutiny where the groups cleared to receive the 501(c) tax exempt status.

At heart of the issue is the role Lerner, and the Obama Administration, played in the discrimination of the conservative groups. Oberweis said the American’s patience is wearing thin regarding the IRS’ actions following the revelation the emails were missing.

“There is nothing more abusive to the people than an abusive Internal Revenue Service, and this administration has demonstrated it is incapable of getting to the bottom of the scandal,” he said in the statement.

The Sugar Grove Republican also tied reports that Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Springfield) requested the IRS investigate Karl Rove’s own PAC, Crossroads GPS, a conservative established to help GOP candidates.

“There’s a respected free-speech organization called the Center for Competitive Politics, which just this month filed a Senate ethics complaint against Durbin and eight other Democrat senators for politicizing the IRS,” said Oberweis. “Let’s not forget Dick Durbin’s central role in this scandal: he was one of the Democrat U. S. senators wanting the IRS to go after conservative organizations.”

Durbin’s office has yet to comment on Oberweis’ call for a special prosecutor for the IRS scandal .

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Justin Shimko

Justin Shimko is an award-winning writer and political analyst. He began as a reporter in his college days at the University of Oklahoma, writing for The Oklahoma Daily (rated as one of the best collegiate newspapers in the nation) and The Oklahoman, the statewide newspaper, winning awards from the CSPA and the Society of Professional Journalists. He later moved on to research and writing work for a number of political campaigns. His email is [email protected]