WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 26: IRS Commissioner John Koskinen testifies before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee March 26, 2014 in Washington, DC. Koskinen testified on 'Examining the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) Response to the Targeting Scandal' (Getty Images)
An IRS official said Wednesday that it could take years before the agency is able to turn over to Congress all documents pertaining to the improper targeting of conservative groups.
"What they want is something that's going to take years to produce," Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen said during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on Wednesday.
The commissioner’s remarks were made in response to specific questions asked by Republican lawmakers on the committee.
Republicans have accused the IRS of stonewalling their investigation by intentionally delaying the release of certain agency documents.
"We don't want the excuses anymore," Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said at the hearing. "You're not working fast enough. It's that simple."
"Get on the job!" he added.
"We're on our job," Koskinen replied. "We have 89,000 employees having nothing to do with this, doing very important work for the government."
Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) also said during the hearing that the IRS has had plenty of time to turn over the documents the committee is most interested in, namely former IRS official Lois Lerner’s emails.
Lerner admitted in 2013 that the IRS had been inappropriately targeting conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status. She later invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and has refused to answer questions on the matter.
"Six months ago, you could have pumped out all of Lois Lerner's emails," Issa said. "I find it less than helpful and I find your talking about redaction and time inappropriate when you could have given Ways and Means all of Lois Lerner's emails in a matter of seconds."
“[That’s] not the information I have,” Koskinen
(H/T: Washington Examiner)
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