Sunday, February 2, 2014
Once loath to call for special prosecutor, Republican senators now lean toward it
Top congressional Republicans are sounding increasingly open to
having a special prosecutor investigate the IRS's targeting of Tea Party groups, saying they have serious doubts about the Obama administration's criminal investigation into the matter.
GOP lawmakers were loath to call for a special prosecutor in the days after the IRS first acknowledged the targeting last May – in large part because Attorney General Eric Holder, who has clashed frequently with Republicans, would be charged with appointing the prosecutor.
But in the almost nine months since, Republicans have struggled to prove that the IRS’s treatment of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status had ties to the White House or was politically motivated – and not just the result of bureaucratic mismanagement.
Now, Republicans are also furious about media reports that the federal government’s criminal investigation into the IRS is unlikely to lead to charges, and that a key attorney in that probe has given thousands of dollars to Obama and Democratic causes.
For those reasons and others, both Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Holder that the time had come for a special prosecutor at a Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday.
“Predecessors of yours in both parties, Democrat and Republican, when faced with serious charges of abuse of power for partisan gain, have made the right decision and appointed special prosecutors,” Cruz said.
Even Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) – who has cited Holder’s role in previously opposing a special prosecutor – suggested he was coming around.
“Clearly, Eric Holder and the Justice Department can’t be trusted, because they
GOP lawmakers were loath to call for a special prosecutor in the days after the IRS first acknowledged the targeting last May – in large part because Attorney General Eric Holder, who has clashed frequently with Republicans, would be charged with appointing the prosecutor.
But in the almost nine months since, Republicans have struggled to prove that the IRS’s treatment of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status had ties to the White House or was politically motivated – and not just the result of bureaucratic mismanagement.
Now, Republicans are also furious about media reports that the federal government’s criminal investigation into the IRS is unlikely to lead to charges, and that a key attorney in that probe has given thousands of dollars to Obama and Democratic causes.
For those reasons and others, both Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Holder that the time had come for a special prosecutor at a Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday.
“Predecessors of yours in both parties, Democrat and Republican, when faced with serious charges of abuse of power for partisan gain, have made the right decision and appointed special prosecutors,” Cruz said.
Even Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) – who has cited Holder’s role in previously opposing a special prosecutor – suggested he was coming around.
“Clearly, Eric Holder and the Justice Department can’t be trusted, because they
Saturday, February 1, 2014
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