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JUDICIAL WATCH CONTINUES FIGHT IN COURT AGAINST ILLEGAL, POLITICAL AUDIT
Judicial Watch
(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, reported today that it would continue its court fights against an audit which was first attempted in 1998 by the Clinton IRS shortly after Judicial Watch called for his impeachment for, among other things, his abuse of the IRS audit process. If necessary, Judicial Watch will seek Supreme Court intervention to protect itself from the politically-motivated audit.
Indeed, documents produced to Judicial Watch by the IRS under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) included a copy of a email to President Clinton at the White House which stated:
I have received solicitation for funds and a questionnaire from Larry Klayman, of Judicial Watch. They have targeted you and the Vice President. My question is how can this obviously partisan organization be classified as tax exempt under 501(C)(3). I think you and your wife have done a great job in spite of the partisan attacks against both of you. The IRS documents show the email, which was sent to the IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti's office by President Clinton, was received by the IRS on or about September 22, 1998. Judicial Watch's first audit notice was dated two weeks later, on October 6, 1998. It is illegal and criminal for the President to directly or indirectly request an IRS audit of any taxpayer. Separately, Judicial Watch had been told by an IRS official that an audit was to be expected for suing Bill Clinton.
A federal court judge in the District of Columbia circuit, appointed by President Clinton, recently sided with the IRS in its five year dispute with Judicial Watch, without giving Judicial Watch the opportunity that the law normally affords to probe the IRS's motivations for the audit. Judicial Watch is appealing this decision.
"The law is clear," audits instituted for political reasons are illegal. We have the proof and we hope that the courts will pay attention and give us justice. We were told by the IRS that we were audited because we sued Bill Clinton and then we find that Bill Clinton communicated with the IRS commissioner in an attempt to get us audited. The IRS thinks it is above the law. "Judicial Watch will continue to ask the courts to remind them otherwise," stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman.
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Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172
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