House Policy And Legislative
Oversight Committee Releases Key Findings Of IRS Targeting Of Ohioans
July 26, 2013
By Rep. Mike Dovilla
CINCINNATI
- The Ohio House Policy
and Legislative Oversight Committee this week conducted a field hearing
on
House Concurrent Resolution 27, sponsored by Rep. Terry Johnson
(R-McDermott)
and Rep. Dale Mallory (D-Cincinnati) regarding the politicization of
the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and targeting of Ohioans.
Chairman
Mike Dovilla (R-Berea)
released the following statement and key findings of the House Policy
and
Legislative Oversight Committee:
“Our
committee extended an open
invitation to all Ohioans who believe they were targeted by the IRS,
regardless
of personal political affiliation or inferred organizational
association, and
we are thankful many Ohioans volunteered to testify.
"Some
observers have asked why
we would take an Ohio House committee on the road and spend time
discussing a
federal agency. No one explained this better than Rep. Mallory during
his
sponsor testimony when he said this issue is a black eye for his region
and the
State of Ohio. To think that for months national news focused on
Cincinnati as
the focal point of abuse of government power inflicted upon ordinary
citizens
is troubling - and quite frankly an embarrassment to the good people of
Cincinnati and our great state.
"Our
Republic has a federalist
form of representative government, and state legislatures must continue
to play
an important role in the discourse on public policy issues, including
those
that take place at the federal level. Our committee will continue to
ensure
government is accountable to hardworking Ohioans.”
Key
points from testimony of Ohio
residents:
•
Marion Bower, the President of
American PAGE, testified the IRS took an inordinate amount of time,
over two
years and six months, for the IRS to reach a final determination
regarding
their application.
•
According to IRS documents
submitted by Ms. Bower, in comparison to documents submitted by other
groups,
IRS agents were provided with much leeway in the writing of
questionnaires.
•
Under penalty of perjury, Ms.
Bower was provided a list of activities her group could be engaged in
as
determined by an IRS agent, and was expected the total percentage of
time and
resources to add up to 100 percent. Answering honestly, one activity
was listed
twice, and Ms. Bower received a second questionnaire scolding her that
the sum
of her responses did not add up to 100 percent, forcing her to resubmit
the questionnaire.
•
The Ohio Christian Alliance was
notified by the IRS they would be contacted within 90 days to complete
their
application for 501(c)3 status, it took 267 days for their organization
to be
contacted.
•
An Ohio resident, Justin
Binik-Thomas, was personally singled out in an IRS questionnaire to the
Liberty
Township Tea Party. Mr. Binik-Thomas had no personal, professional, or
volunteer relationship with the aforementioned group and did not reside
in the
vicinity of the aforementioned group.
•
Upon contacting the IRS Taxpayer
Advocate, with a copy of the questionnaire, the Taxpayer Advocate
provided two
responses Mr. Binik-Thomas. The first informed Mr. Binik-Thomas that
the IRS
did not ask questions pertaining to individuals. The second informed
Mr.
Binik-Thomas that due to privacy laws the IRS could not divulge any
information
about questions related to Mr. Binik-Thomas.
•
Tim Savaglio, Board Member of the
Liberty County TEA Party, applied for tax exempt status in May 2010.
Over three
years later, the organization’s request is still outstanding.
•
Mr. Savaglio’s organization
received two questionnaires, with the first questionnaire composed of
over 90
separate entries for more detailed information.
|