Fleming Responds to Koskinen Hearings

Statement

Congressman John Fleming, M.D. released the following statement after the Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the impeachment of IRS Commissioner John Koskinen where Commissioner Koskinen testified under oath.

"I'm glad that Commissioner Koskinen finally agreed to testify before the Judiciary Committee under oath, even though he continued to deny any conscious wrongdoing. While he admitted his previous statements under oath to Congress were incorrect, he claims he made them solely based on incorrect information provided by his subordinates."

"As Chairman Jim Jordan pointed out, if any American being audited by the IRS lost their documents and destroyed the back-ups, they would never get away with it. However, Koskinen, Lerner and Clinton continue to get away with it. Yet again we see one set of rules for Americans and another set for high-level government officials. We also learned that during Koskinen's tenure there were no consequences for any IRS employee in relation to the destruction of evidence under subpoena or misleading Congress with false statements while under oath."

The hearing confirmed the following facts:

· There had been failures by the IRS under Koskinen's watch with respect to retention and preservation of documents involving a crucial IRS misconduct;

· There were failures by the IRS to testify accurately under oath including the Commissioner himself;
· That it wasn't accurate when Koskinen stated under oath that the IRS had "preserved every email."

"I think Congress and the American people received confirmation that their instincts were correct. Koskinen should do the right thing and resign his office."

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