Obama response to IRS scandal is to codify abuse of power against opposing speech.

Jim Martin: “Conservatives wait years for IRS approval while the President’s brother’s foundation is approved in mere days. This corruption goes right to the top!”

(Alexandria, Virginia) – 60 Plus Association Chairman Jim Martin, leader of the nation’s largest conservative seniors organization with over 7.2 million senior supporters, today offered his support of GOP Congressional efforts to oppose proposed IRS regulations designed to limit the speech and political activity of conservative groups.

Proposed last November, the new IRS and Treasury Department rules were revealed in the wake of  revelations unearthed in 2013 that the IRS engaged in a deliberate, vicious and prolonged scheme to thwart the political activities and silence the voices of conservative activists.

Said Martin, “The proposed IRS rules seek to codify this Administration’s use of government power to target, intimidate and bully their political adversaries from exercising their conscience and First Amendment rights. It is an abuse of power, plain and simple, that serves no purpose other than to give a government stamp of approval to a partisan, political choke hold.

“Let me pose a trivia question,” continued Martin. “On average conservative political organizations seeking non-profit status waited up to 36 months for IRS approval. How long did it take for the IRS to approve the same status for the Barack H. Obama Foundation, named for the President’s father and run by his brother?  The answer is zero months, a mere 28 days. This is yet another smoking gun regarding the corruption and abuse of power by this Administration through the Treasury Department.”

Malik Obama’s non-profit application for the Foundation was approved by former IRS head Lois Lerner, who has since stepped down and plead the 5th to Congressional investigators. Recently the Treasury inspector general for tax administration found that the IRS singled out conservative groups for additional scrutiny and harassment during the review process.

“The IRS already wields tremendous power over every American, with the ability to seize property and income, or have people put in jail. After witnessing the vast overstep and abuse of their powers in the last election cycle it should give chills to every American that this agency will have even more power under this rule, with even more justification to punish individuals.

“Lois Lerner plead the 5th, so those claiming the IRS regulations are designed to create more transparency in politics are just plain lying,” said Martin. “This is an outrage to every American who treasures their freedom of speech and God-given right to dissent.”

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