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Washington • Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is usually the one asking pointed questions, sat on the other side Tuesday, testifying to fellow members of Congress about why they should impeach IRS Commissioner John Koskinen.
"As members of Congress, we have no reason to have any confidence that Mr. Koskinen will run one of the most powerful agencies with any integrity," Chaffetz, R-Utah, said as a witness before the House Judiciary Committee. "Nor can the American people feel confident the agency won't misuse its power under his direction. For these reasons, it is time for Congress to act and remove him as head of the agency."
Chaffetz pushed for Koskinen to resign in the wake of how he handled a scandal involving questions of the IRS targeting tea-party groups, and has since shifted to asking the House to impeach the nation's tax chief.
The Judiciary Committee hasn't voted to impeach anyone other than a president since 1876, and it may be unlikely that such action could take place now, given the House's short work schedule this election year.
Chaffetz, whose impeachment resolution includes several reasons the House should vote to remove the IRS head, said Koskinen did not comply with a congressional subpoena, all the while saying he was going to "great lengths" to fulfill the request for emails from former IRS official Lois Lerner, who at the time raised concerns about tea-party groups' tax-exempt status.
"Congress cannot allow the head of one of the most powerful agencies to shirk his legal obligation to comply with a subpoena," Chaffetz said.
Koskinen did not appear at the Judiciary Committee hearing, arguing in a letter that he didn't have enough time to prepare since he returned from an official visit to China. He included responses to why he believes the impeachment allegations "lack merit."
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew defended Koskinen in a statement Tuesday as an "outstanding public servant of the highest integrity."
"From the day he began his leadership of the IRS, John and his staff have cooperated with Congress," Lew said. "And despite facing massive budget cuts, the IRS continues to carry out its mission of enforcing our nation's tax laws while striving to provide quality service to taxpayers. It is critical that John has the tools he needs to keep his focus on driving the important work the IRS conducts on behalf of the American people."
Lew added that the House should focus on helping the American people, not on the "political agenda" of an impeachment vote.
While Chaffetz and his 73 co-sponsors say Congress must act, they're not finding support from the other side of the Hill.
Senate Republicans have shown no interest in going after Koskinen, even though they have been highly critical of the IRS scrutiny of conservative groups.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, led that investigation as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
"We had a different experience with him" than the House, Hatch said of Koskinen in an interview last week. "We can have our disagreements with him, but that doesn't mean there is an impeachable offense. For the most part, it has been a very cooperative relationship."
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee said Republicans were playing election-year politics and basing their allegations on debunked assertions.
"It arises, sad to say, from the worst partisan instincts," said Michigan Rep. John Conyers, the committee's top Democrat. "It is not based in the facts, and it has virtually no chance of success, in my view, in the Senate."
– Tribune reporter Matt Canham contributed to this story