IRS IG says 760 unsearched IRS exchange server drives could contain missing Lois Lerner e-mails
Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Urbana), chairman of the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs, has called on IRS Commissioner John Koskinen to testify before his subcommittee at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 17. The hearing will be held in room 2154 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
In a letter confirming Commissioner Koskinen's upcoming testimony before Rep. Jordan's subcommittee, Rep. Jordan notes that the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has identified 760 exchange servers from the time period relevant to the Oversight Committee's investigation into the IRS targeting of conservative groups that exist and could contain Lois Lerner's missing e-mails.
This contradicts Commissioner Koskinen's sworn testimony before Congress about Ms. Lerner's missing e-mails.
Jordan notes in the letter:
"According to TIGTA, the IRS did not search these sources for Ms. Lerner's e-mails during its process of producing documents to Congress because the IRS was not aware that the exchange servers even existed. According to TIGTA, the IRS was under the mistaken belief that the exchange servers had been destroyed in 2012 until TIGTA's review of IRS records indicated that the servers had not been destroyed due to budgetary constraints. These 760 exchange server tapes could be a potential source for the destroyed e-mails sent or received by Ms. Lerner."
Additionally, TIGTA found that e-mails from eight other individuals may have been lost from the relevant time period. The letter also notes the efforts of the watchdog organization Judicial Watch, which recently uncovered that Ms. Lerner's blackberry was wiped clean months after Oversight Committee staff questioned her about allegations that the IRS was targeting conservative groups. TIGTA found that an additional blackberry was also destroyed.
Jordan writes:
"Moreover, further information indicates that additional e-mails may have been lost during the relevant period. According to TIGTA, 31 custodians – out of 118 total – experienced computer issues, and at least eight custodians may have lost e-mails during the period under investigation. In addition, according to a declaration filed in Judicial Watch's lawsuit, the IRS admitted that it ‘wiped clean' Ms. Lerner's blackberry in June 2012 – months after Committee staff questioned Ms. Lerner about allegations that the IRS was targeting conservative groups and after Chairman Issa and I wrote to her about these allegations. TIGTA has stated that a second blackberry belonging to Ms. Lerner was destroyed in November 2010.
Rep. Jordan requested that Commissioner Koskinen come to the hearing prepared to answer questions related to IRS efforts to recover Lois Lerner's e-mails.
To read Rep. Jordan's complete letter to Commissioner Koskinen, click here: /UploadedFiles/2014-09-05_Jordan_to_Koskinen-IRS_-_confirming_appearance_Sept_2014.pdf
WHO: Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman, Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs; John Koskinen, commissioner, IRS
WHAT: congressional subcommittee hearing on IRS efforts to recover Lois Lerner's missing e-mails
WHERE: 2154 Rayburn House Office Building
WHEN: 2 p.m., Wednesday, September 17
-30-