IRS: an agency that would make a Kafka novel proud

More Abject Failure from Koskinen’s IRS

1 | (1) Comments | Subscribe | Back to full Article | Contact Us

By Alan Joel  Monday, September 22, 2014  John Koskinen has failed the IRS and the American people. IRS Commissioner John Koskinen testified last week about the missing emails lost forever due to computer failures. When questioned about any more crashes or computer issues recently, Koskinen told the House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee that “Hard drive crashes continue as we speak.” Can someone please buy the IRS reliable computers and a backup system? Don’t forget, the IRS canceled the back-up contract service that they had for six years, shortly after Lois Lerner’s original hard drive went missing. Koskinen was forthcoming during the hearing that no backup system currently exists: “There is no system outside the IRS, government or otherwise, that the IRS uses to back up or store emails,”. On the other hand, there was also no mention if the IRS is complying with the law that states it must keep copies of all data; it apparently hadn’t been routine practice during the time of the IRS scandal actions, so there are no assurances that it is being followed now. Koskinen also admitted that “if the agency destroyed records then ‘that was an act not consistent with the law’ but said, ‘There’s no evidence that there were records destroyed.’”. Notice he didn’t state that “The IRS didn’t destroy records” because then it would logically follow by his own admission that the IRS would have engaged in an act “not consistent with the law”. However, Koskinen chose his words carefully when he stated “there’s no evidence that there were records destroyed” — of course there is no evidence, because it is all missing. He further reiterated this position of “non-destruction”, when he stated, “I never said they disappeared, I said they were recycled.” Because “recycling” equipment and information that is irretrievable isn’t “destruction”. Lastly, “Koskinen also admitted that IRS employees routinely use personal email accounts to conduct agency business but maintained that ‘they do it inadvertently.’” But how can someone do something “routinely” but also “inadvertently”? Of course, it makes no sense. Don’t forget, the email game is the same practice seen with the former EPA chief Lisa Jackson last year; the IG report found that the personal email use for agency business was indeed rampant among EPA employees. Since the IRS clearly engages in the practice as well, one can only conclude that this probably not “inadvertent” from an agency of the “most transparent administration ever.” John Koskinen was confirmed by the Senate to head the IRS on December 20, 2013. In the nine months that have followed, he has done virtually nothing to restore the trust of the agency to the American people. As the testimony above freely evidences, Koskinen is aware of many issues and irregularities — such as no backup system and use of personal emails — and yet he has yet to crack down on practices or implement stringent rules among his employees. His leadership has been derelict; his attitude abysmal. America deserves better.