Looking to make some extra cash this summer? A new bill introduced by Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) and Bill Flores (R-TX) would set aside funds for a $1 million cash prize to anyone or any entity that can furnish Congress with Lois Lerner’s "missing" emails. What’s more, the bill also stipulates that the government would pay $500,000 to any person or party that provides information to prosecutors that would be admissible in a court of law. The best part? The reward itself would be paid for with funds from the IRS’ own budget.
The Identify and Recover Sent E-mails (IRS) Act (H.R. 4958) is already making its way through the federal legislature. The following, then, is the joint statement both lawmakers released two days ago, explaining why the bill is both necessary and a serious proposal:
U.S. Representatives Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and Bill Flores (R-Texas) have introduced legislation that provides incentives to find former IRS director Lois Lerner’s missing emails.
"It seems that each time the IRS has evidence that will either prove with certainty its guilt or innocence, the evidence disappears which both common sense and the law indicate the evidence such as emails must have proved the IRS’s impropriety if not outright crimes. It is time the IRS either comes clean, or has a special prosecutor to clean it up. This bill should help in the interim," Congressman Gohmert said.
“I find it very hard to believe that the emails from Lois Lerner are lost and unrecoverable. It is very convenient that the IRS is unable to turn over any of the communications from the central figure responsible for the inappropriate targeting of conservative groups. We will not sit idly by as the IRS continues to work to cover up its blatant abuse of government power,” Congressman Flores said.
“Lois Lerner’s involvement in the planning and execution of beliefs-based IRS targeting can only stay hidden for so long. By providing these incentives we can get people to reveal the hidden truths behind this egregious cover up,” Flores stated. “It is time to hold the IRS’ feet to the fire and for them to come clean about Lois Lerner’s involvement. I remain committed to uncovering the truth and ensuring that all federal agencies are working to serve the American public with integrity and fairness.”
Of course, if the bill passes the House, there’s zero chance it goes anywhere other than Harry Reid’s desk. Nevertheless, if it does pass, the measure would bring additional attention to an issue that the mainstream media -- and Democrats -- have often scoffed at and ignored for months.
It’s also worth reiterating that the co-sponsors of the legislation note their bill is a temporary and "interim" solution to exposing ongoing abuses at the IRS while they wait for Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a special prosecutor. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced yesterday that if that doesn’t happen -- that is, the appointment never comes to fruition -- the attorney general should be impeached. In other words, these measures and calls for action are serious evidence that congressional Republicans are dead-set -- and committed -- to getting to the bottom of the IRS scandal.
Let’s hope that they do.
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