IRS Clams Up After Intimidating GOP Witness
On Tuesday, journalist Matt Taibbi reported receiving an unannounced visit from the IRS at his New Jersey residence. Taibbi had recently testified before the newly Republican–created Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government about what he learned about Twitter, including the behind–the–scenes machinations around censoring the Hunter Biden laptop story.
The IRS has not answered questions from Fox News Digital as to how often they send agents to people’s homes, or whether Taibbi’s role in “Twitter Files“ had anything to do with the visit. The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board criticized the IRS, noting that they normally send a letter or schedule a meeting at the agent’s office rather than make unannounced visits.
In response to this news, prominent Republicans are speaking out. Senator Ted Cruz (R–Texas) tweeted that the situation “absolutely stinks to high heaven” due to the “troubling history of targeting the political enemies of Democrats”. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R–Ohio) sent two letters to the IRS in an effort to get answers.
Taibbi has declined to comment further on the situation, as he does not want to interfere with Chairman Jordan’s letter. However, he did tell Brian Kilmeade that the House Democrats’ attacks during the hearing were “comically inept”, as they attempted to get him to admit to Russian interference and cut off any attempt to engage in conversation about the material.
The events surrounding this situation have raised serious questions about the IRS’s ability to target people based on their political views. Republicans stand united in their call for the IRS to answer for its actions and provide an explanation for why it sent an agent to Taibbi’s home. Until the IRS responds, the public can only speculate why this visit occurred and how often this type of activity takes place.