Indiana Senator Dan Coats moving to take action regarding IRS. Let us support our legislators who work to restore integrity and justice: From Dan Coats: Dear Friend, Thank you for signing up to receive my email newsletter. These newsletters will cover a variety of topics, including events happening in Indiana, legislation being considered in Congress, and my perspective on current issues. My hope is to keep you updated and informed on how issues in Washington may impact Hoosiers. I welcome your feedback. Thanks for reading, Dan Coats Why Are IRS Employees Involved in Scandal Still Getting Paid? Nearly three months ago, a report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, a non-partisan Internal Revenue Service oversight authority, revealed that conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status were being scrutinized by the IRS more than their democratic counterparts. Since then, some IRS employees involved in the scandal, including Lois Lerner, the director of Exempt Organizations, have been placed on administrative leave while others have left their posts voluntarily. Shockingly, those who were involuntarily suspended are still being paid. According to an article by the Wall Street Journal, Lerner received a salary last year of $177,000. Assuming she is still earning the same wage, U.S. taxpayers have paid her more than $30,000 since she was placed on leave. However, Congress and agency heads lack the authority to remove Lerner’s pay due to current federal regulations. This wrong must be corrected.I am cosponsoring a bill called the Government Employee Accountability Act that would give agency officials the authority to remove executive officials on the spot and create an option for investigative leave with or leave without pay for 90 days. In addition, it would require definitive action. At the end of the 90 day investigative leave period, the agency must remove the employee, suspend the employee without pay or reinstate the employee to duty. While I believe the IRS scandal is a serious violation of the public’s trust, the targeting of conservative groups is not the only incident that has persuaded me to support this bill. Other cases, such as the 2012 GSA scandal where government officials spent $800,000 at a Las Vegas conference, further add to the public’s distrust of Washington. We must and can do more to hold the government accountable and restore the trust of the American people. Dan Coats
Posted on: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 21:28:23 +0000
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