Amid IRS Mess, Democrats Try to Make a Scandal Out of Issa
Darrel Issa Resume:
**3rd-rate McCarthy
**Indicted for Grand Theft Auto
**Suspected Arsonist
**Insurance Swindler
**Illegal Possession of Firearm
Glass houses, sir.
But an overzealous prosecutor can bungle even an open-and-shut case, and thats what Democrats hope to portray Darrell Issa, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform committee and the Presidents self-styled nemesis. For years, Issa has launched a series of probes into alleged White House malfeasance, from the Fast and Furious gun-running controversy to loans the Department of Energy made to the failed green-energy company Solyndra. In both instances, Issa went after high-level scalps only to see the investigations peter out without claiming top officials, such as Attorney General Eric Holder, who was under scrutiny in Fast and Furious. Now Democrats are pointing to his habit of claiming conspiracy, as well as a series of intemperate remarks Issa has made about the IRS case, in an attempt to deflect attention from the scandal by discrediting the inquisitor.
As late as last week the administrations still trying to say theres a few rogue agents in Cincinnati, when in fact the indication is they were directly being ordered from Washington, Issa said Sunday in an interview on CNNs State of the Union. During that interview, Issa, 59, also criticized White House Press Secretary Jay Carney for blaming the scandal on a local rogue, and called Carney a paid liar.
Issas accusations were accompanied by excerpts the committee released from interviews conducted with two unidentified workers at the IRS office in Cincinnati. In one excerpt, a worker scoffs at the notion that employees in the bureaucratic backwater could be solely responsible for the politically motivated targeting. Its impossible, the employee says. As an agent we are controlled by many, many people. We have to submit many, many reports. So the chance of two agents being rogue and doing things like that could never happen.
One of the things weve heard, says a spokesperson in Issas office of the committees interviews with IRS employees in Cincinnati, is how frustrated and thrown under the bus they feel.
Its hard to assess the accuracy of Issas claims. The Oversight committee hasnt released the full transcripts of those interviews, or identified the employees. Nor has Issa explained why he believes the conspiracy to target conservative political outfits applying for 501(c)(4) status stretches deep into the agencys Washington headquarters. The Treasury Inspector General found that IRS offices in DC did contribute to inappropriate delays when some conservative groups applied for tax-exempt status. But it found no political influence from the White House, or anyone else, in those actions.
Strong words from Mr Grand Theft Auto and suspected arsonist/insurance swindler, tweeted former White House senior adviser David Plouffe. The remark was a reference to Issas checkered past. The seven-term Congressman became one of the wealthiest members of the legislative branch when he entered in 2001, thanks to a company he founded that manufactured popular car alarms. But as a young adult, Issa ran into some trouble with the law, according to a profile by the New Yorkers Ryan Lizza. He was indicted for stealing a car (the case was dismissed), accused by a business associate of burning down a factory to collect the insurance money (he was never charged) and pleaded guilty to possessing an unregistered firearm after a traffic stop. (Issa was given probation for the offense.)
Darrel Issa Resume:
**3rd-rate McCarthy
**Indicted for Grand Theft Auto
**Suspected Arsonist
**Insurance Swindler
**Illegal Possession of Firearm
Glass houses, sir.