During a contentious House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Capitol Hill Friday, former vice presidential nominee and Republican Rep. Paul Ryan told IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, "Your problem is, no one believes you."
Koskinen tried to assure lawmakers the IRS isn't engaged in a cover-up and isn't misleading Congress, despite failing to disclose massive data loss and a "hard drive crash" until asked about where emails belonging to IRS officials and officials outside of agency were located.
"This is a pattern of abuse, a pattern of behavior that is not giving us any confidence that this agency is being impartial," Ryan said. "You ask taxpayers to hold onto seven years of their personal tax information in case they are audited and you can't keep track of emails past six months?"
"I do not believe you. This is incredible," Ryan stressed.
"I have a long career, that's the first time anyone has said they don't believe me," Koskinen responded.
"I do not believe you," Ryan shot back.
The exchange came shortly after Republican Rep. Kevin Brady outlined multiple instances of the IRS either lying or misleading the American people about the targeting of conservative groups, pointing out the bogus claim this was a low-level operation that took place in Cincinnati, when officials in Washington D.C. were leading the charge.
"Mr. Commissioner, why at this point, should anyone believe you?" Brady asked. "This is the most corrupt #IRS in history."
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