Sarah Hall Ingram: From IRS to Health Care

KellyBensimon

 This is an interesting article, though like many things that are under Yahoo news, it seems like it's skewed toward a certain political affiliation.

http://news.yahoo.com/irs-scandal-sarah-hall-ingram-next-head-roll-111800126.html

It ticks me off that the article starts off talking about Sarah Hall Ingram, but then veers off into this ending screed against the Tea Party.  Seems that the screed was what the author wants people to remember, considering he put this last.

I don't think it even occurred to any of us that we could pretend to be a social welfare group and raise money without being subject to taxation. That's because we aren't criminals. I am infuriated by these stories about Tea Party groups who are complaining that seeking tax-exempt status was like having a proctology exam. While I acknowledge that the IRS made unreasonable requests and caused unreasonable delays, I am even more outraged that they did not deny tax-exempt status to even one Tea Party group. Not one.

There isn't a single Tea Party group in the country that isn't primarily concerned with political matters. None of them should have qualified for tax-exempt status. None.... Opposing disastrous war serves the public welfare even better than opposing historically-low tax rates. Where's our refund? [Booman Tribune]

 

vlagrl29

It happened again. Dh just talked to me about this and I come here and see you posted this article. Seriously you guys need to get together for a politics discussion. 

snp605

for starters I think people get confused between a 501 c 3 and a 501 c 4. In a C(4) which most applied under, they get tax exempt status for monies raised but donors cannot take a tax write off for it. Why shouldn't anyone of ANY political ideology not be able to raise money to get a message out to the public? I'm scratching my head on that one. I mean what to do these people think organizations like Moveon.org and Rock the Vote are (actually RTV is a c(3)) ? They aren't selling a product. They are merely trying to get a message out. Provided they do not specifically endorse a candidate, I have no problem with it.

snp605

also, it is of note that these delays in some cases have extended upwards of 3 years which in essence is something of a denial when other groups (including some filed by the same people but with "greener" sounding names) were approved in 3 weeks. Further, it was not ONLY tea party groups. It was Baptist church organizations and right to life organizations. Before they get their panties in such a wad about tax exempt status they need to ask themselves if they really want Planned Parenthood to have to pay taxes at the tax rate they would be subject to for getting THEIR message out.

vlagrl29

I hear that she will be pleading the fifth tomorrow

snp605

Lois Lerner did. Of course she did, because she likely committed perjury at the last congressional hearing she testified in.

vlagrl29

snp605:

Lois Lerner did. Of course she did, because she likely committed perjury at the last congressional hearing she testified in.

sorry I got the 2 confused.  I guess she made an opening statement that could revoke her 5th amendment.  So they can bring her back in to answer their questions. 

snp605

They need to start pulling in the people from the Cincinnati office. Even if they pull her back she can reassert her fifth amendment and stonewall again.

 

It is interesting to note that when she was on the Federal Elections Commission she took a major conservative group to trial for violating FEC rules. She lost that case handily. You might start to see a pattern or even a motive. Her husband is closely connected to the current administration which also would increase the likelihood that she leans a certain way politically.

 An interesting bit of trivia is that Inspector George's communications director Karen Kraushaar was the first woman to come forward and accuse Herman Cain of harassment and was also the spokeswoman for the INS during the Elian Gonzalez debacle. She later also accused her supervisor at the INS of harassment, asked for a settlement but did not receive one and left to go to the IRS.