If it can be proven President Barack Obama was involved in the IRS’ targeting of conservative groups, that’s an impeachable offense, two professors said in recent interviews with The College Fix.
“If there was a clear line of responsibility or authority that could be shown between the IRS and their actions targeting conservative groups and the president – he wouldn’t make it through the end of the day,” said Scott Waller, assistant professor of political science at Biola University.
Grove City College media law and ethics Professor Daniel Brown agreed, saying if President Obama knew about and did nothing to stop the IRS targeting of conservative nonprofit efforts, which took place as early as 2010 and through 2012, that’s grounds for impeachment.
That smoking gun may be emerging.
The Daily Caller reported on Wednesday on a series of internal emails between the White House and a top IRS official that contained confidential taxpayer information; the woman who sent the emails to senior White House officials is the same one who headed the scandal-ridden IRS office responsible for overseeing tax-exempt nonprofit groups. The emails were on a different subject, but there could be more where that came from.
“Federal employees who illegally disclose confidential taxpayer information could face five years in prison,” the Caller reports.
Republican lawmakers say they will press the issue. A domino effect might begin.
President Nixon’s articles of impeachment cited in part using the IRS in a discriminatory manner:
Using the powers of the office of President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability … has, acting personally and through his subordinates and agents, endeavored to obtain from the Internal Revenue Service, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, confidential information contained in income tax returns for purposed not authorized by law, and to cause, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, income tax audits or other income tax investigations to be initiated or conducted in a discriminatory manner.
Waller, during his interview in May, said a “clear line” – such as a memo or paper trail – would be the most effective evidence to show whether the president ordered or condoned the systemic and large-scale undertakings of the IRS to thwart and delay applications for tax-exempt status from conservative groups.
But he added the chances of that are slim to none. What’s more likely, the professor said, is that the president would be accused of being complicit in the IRS scandal.
Only time will tell, Waller said.
“It took two years for the Nixon scandal to kind of burgeon to the point where Nixon lost the political support of Republicans, and that is really what brought him down,” Waller said. “In a similar vein, it is going to take a while if there is something here of the damaging sort to make itself known.”
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The original post has been modified to reflect Nixon was not impeached.
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