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December 18, 2017

Judicial Watch Files Amicus Curiae Brief Urging Federal Court to Unseal Depositions of IRS Officials Lerner, Paz in Tea Party Targeting Case
 

‘[T]he IRS continues to this day to withhold from the public in Judicial Watch’s main IRS case … email communications with Lois Lerner and/or Holly Paz …’ – Judicial Watch Amicus Brief
 
(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch last week asked a federal court to unseal the depositions of Lois Lerner, the former director of the Exempt Organizations Unit of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and Holly Paz, her top aide and former IRS director of Office of Rulings and Agreements. Both played key roles in the targeting of conservative nonprofit groups opposed to Obama policies in the run up to the 2012 presidential election. 

The request came in an amicus curiae brief filed with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Western Division supporting NorCal Tea Party Patriots’ class action lawsuit seeking the unsealing of the depositions (NorCal Tea Party Patriots, et al. v. The Internal Revenue Service, et al. (No. 1:13-cv-00341)). The depositions were sealed by a federal judge after Lerner’s and Paz’s lawyers claimed the two were receiving threats. Judicial Watch’s brief argues that the documents sought may shed light on government misconduct, and the shielding of internal government deliberations does not serve the public’s interest.

Judicial Watch details how the Lerner and Paz depositions may significantly impact ongoing Judicial Watch lawsuits seeking information about misconduct of government officials in the IRS targeting scandal:

In addition to the revelation of IRS employees’ conduct in the emails uncovered, the records obtained by Judicial Watch [in the course of its FOIA investigation] also sparked investigations into Lois Lerner’s emails and IRS’ failure to preserve thousands of emails that were potentially relevant to the various investigations about the IRS’ treatment of conservative groups. While the federal government has now admitted that the targeting “was wrong” and “for such treatment, the IRS expresses its sincere apology” the IRS continues to this day to withhold from the public in Judicial Watch’s main IRS case … email communications with Lois Lerner and/or Holly Paz …

Lerner was actively engaged in the attempted cover-up of IRS misconduct. In July 2016, Judicial Watch revealed that both Lerner and Paz, knew the agency was specifically targeting “Tea Party” and other conservative organizations two full years before disclosing it to Congress and the public. They also knew donor lists of tax-exempt organizations were being used to target those donors for audits.

After refusing to acknowledge the targeting, Judicial Watch forced the IRS to finally admit in that the agency had used “inappropriate political labels” to screen the tax-exempt applications of conservative organizations. IRS agents were targeting organizations requesting tax-exempt status based on “guilt by association” and “party affiliation.” Judicial Watch brought to light that the IRS was going to require 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations to restrict their alleged political activities in exchange for “expedited consideration” of their tax-exempt applications.

In April 2015, Judicial Watch released court ordered IRS documents that included an email from Lerner asking that a program be set up to “put together some training points to help them [IRS staffers] understand the potential pitfalls” of revealing too much information to Congress.  The documents also contain a Lerner email from 2013 in which she says she is willing to take the blame on some aspects of the scandal.  She also indicates that she “understands why the IRS criteria” leading to the targeting of Tea Party and other opponents of the President Obama “might raise questions.”

In July 2015, Judicial Watch revealed the IRS scandal also included the Justice Department and FBI as well. According to documents obtained by Judicial Watch under court order, in an October 2010 meeting, Lerner, Justice Department officials and the FBI planned for the possible criminal prosecution of targeted nonprofit organizations for alleged illegal political activity. As part of that effort, the Obama IRS gave the FBI 21 computer disks, containing 1.25 million pages of confidential IRS returns from 113,000 non-profit, 501(c)(4) social welfare groups as part of its prosecution effort. According to a letter from then-House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, “This revelation likely means that the IRS – including possibly Lois Lerner – violated federal tax law by transmitting this information to the Justice Department.” “In a republic, citizens have a right to know what its government is up to, especially when officials abuse the powers entrusted to them,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “This effort to seal Lois Lerner and Holly Paz depositions for all time is affront to the rule of law and government accountability.”

In response to Judicial Watch’s litigation, the IRS initially claimed that emails belonging to Lerner were supposedly missing. Later, IRS officials conceded that the “missing” emails were on IRS back-up systems.  Throughout its litigation, Judicial Watch repeatedly exposed a variety of IRS record keeping inconsistencies, erroneous claims, and failures to produce court-ordered records:

• In June 2014, the IRS claimed to have “lost” responsive emails belonging to Lerner and other IRS officials.
• In July 2014 Judge Emmett Sullivan ordered the IRS to submit to the court a written declaration under oath about what happened to Lerner’s “lost” emails. The sworn declarations proved to be less than forthcoming.
• In August 2014, Department of Justice attorneys for the IRS finally admitted Judicial Watch that Lerner’s emails, indeed all government computer records, are backed up by the federal government in case of a government-wide catastrophe. The IRS’ attorneys also disclosed that Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) was looking at several of these backup tapes.
• In November 2014, the IRS told the court it had failed to search any of the IRS standard computer systems for the “missing” emails of Lerner and other IRS officials.
• On February 26, 2015, TIGTA officials testified to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that it had received 744 backup tapes containing emails sent and received by Lerner.  This testimony showed that the IRS had misled Congress, Judge Sullivan, and Judicial Watch that Lerner’s emails were irretrievably lost. The testimony also revealed that IRS officials responsible for responding to the document requests never asked for the backup tapes and that 424 backup tapes containing Lerner’s emails had been destroyed during the pendency of Judicial Watch’s lawsuit and Congressional investigations.
• In June 2015, Judicial Watch forced the IRS to admit in a court filing that it was in possession of 6,400 “newly discovered” Lerner emails. Judge Emmet Sullivan’s ordered the IRS to provide answers on the status of the Lerner emails the IRS had previously declared lost. Judicial Watch raised questions about the IRS’ handling of the missing emails issue in a court filing, demanding answers about Lerner’s emails that had been recovered from the backup tapes.
• In July 2015, U.S District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan threatened to hold John Koskinen, the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, and Justice Department attorneys in contempt of court after the IRS failed to produce status reports and recovered Lerner emails, as he had ordered on July 1, 2015.

For the full history on this case, click here.

 

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Give blood now, help save lives by next month

Donors of all blood types urged to give blood, platelets this holiday season

 

(Dec.18, 2017) — The American Red Cross is urging eligible donors to give more life to patients now and into the new year by giving blood or platelets.

 

Donations decline during the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day when busy holiday schedules cause regular donors to be less available to give and many blood drives may be canceled due to severe winter storms. Last year, nearly 64,000 fewer blood and platelet donations were given through the Red Cross during the seven weeks from Thanksgiving through the first week of January than the average during the rest of the year.

 

“By taking just about an hour of time today, you can help save someone’s life within a few weeks or even days of your donation,” said Carmen Madsen, Donor Recruitment director of the Red Cross Lewis and Clark Blood Services Region. “We’re asking donors to give now to help ensure blood is available when patients need it most.”

 

Blood is perishable and can only be replenished by volunteer donors. Red blood cells, the most transfused blood product, must be transfused within 42 days. Platelets, the tiny cells that form clots and help stop bleeding, must be transfused within just five days. More than half of all platelet donations go to cancer patients who may need platelet transfusions to prevent life-threatening bleeding during chemotherapy.

 

“Platelet donors don’t have to wait a few weeks to make a difference in a patient’s life,” said Madsen. “Someone could donate platelets on Monday, and by Friday, those same platelets can help someone’s fight to kick cancer.”

 

Kelly Ellison certainly knows that. Twenty-eight weeks into her third pregnancy, she was raced to the hospital with uncontrollable bleeding and received a doubly devastating diagnosis. Not only did she have aplastic anemia – a rare blood disorder in which the body’s bone marrow does not produce enough new blood cells – doctors also detected kidney cancer. Kelly received 43 units of blood and platelets. Five weeks later, she gave birth prematurely to her son, who also needed blood transfusions to survive.

 

“Our lives have been forever changed because of lifesaving blood and platelet donations,” said Ellison. “Every breath I take is a blessing!”

 

All blood types are needed this winter. Platelet donations are especially encouraged the first week of the new year, which is among the most difficult to collect enough platelets to meet patient needs. Donation appointments can be quickly and easily scheduled by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

 

 

As a special thank-you for taking the time to donate, those who come to give Dec. 21 through Jan. 7 will receive a long-sleeved Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last.

 

Upcoming blood donation opportunities occurring Dec.18-Jan. 15:

 

Davis

 

Bountiful

12/18/2017: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., LDS Chapel, 750 East 640 South

12/26/2017: 2:30 p.m. - 8 p.m., Bountiful Utah Heights Stake, 720 East 550 North

1/4/2018: 2 p.m. - 8 p.m., Bountiful Utah Stake, 200 North 200 West

1/12/2018: 12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m., Lakeview Hospital, 630 East Medical Drive

1/13/2018: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., Bountiful Utah Central Stake, 640 S. 750 E.

 

Centerville

1/12/2018: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Walmart, 221 West Parrish Lane

 

Clearfield

1/8/2018: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Clearfield City Offices, 55 South State

 

Farmington

1/11/2018: 2 p.m. - 8 p.m., Farmington South, 850 South 50 East

 

Kaysville

12/29/2017: 3 p.m. - 8 p.m., Kaysville Utah Haight Creek Stake, 1520 South Fox Pointe Dr

 

Kaysville

1/5/2018: 3 p.m. - 8 p.m., Kaysville Stake, 1505 Whispering Meadow Lane

 

Layton

12/18/2017: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

12/19/2017: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

12/20/2017: 11:45 a.m. - 6:45 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

12/21/2017: 10:45 a.m. - 5:45 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

12/22/2017: 7:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

12/23/2017: 7:45 a.m. - 3 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

12/26/2017: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

12/27/2017: 11:45 a.m. - 6:45 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

12/28/2017: 10:45 a.m. - 5:45 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

12/29/2017: 7:45 a.m. - 3 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

12/29/2017: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Music To The Maxx, 3090 North Fairfield Road

12/30/2017: 7:45 a.m. - 3 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

1/2/2018: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

1/3/2018: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

1/4/2018: 10:45 a.m. - 6 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

1/4/2018: 2 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Layton North Stake, 1954 E. Antelope Dr.

1/5/2018: 7:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

1/6/2018: 7:45 a.m. - 3 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

1/8/2018: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

1/9/2018: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

1/10/2018: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

1/11/2018: 10:45 a.m. - 6 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

1/12/2018: 7:45 a.m. - 3 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

1/13/2018: 7:45 a.m. - 3 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

1/15/2018: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Layton Blood Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road, Suite F

 

Syracuse

1/2/2018: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Syracuse Utah Bluff Stake, 2339 W 1900 S

1/11/2018: 2 p.m. - 8 p.m., Syracuse South Stake, 3065 South Bluff Road

 

Woods Cross

1/3/2018: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Manheim Utah, 1650 West 500 South

1/5/2018: 4 p.m. - 8 p.m., Utah Connections Academy, 687 West 700 South, Ste E

_______________

Weber

 

North Ogden

1/3/2018: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., North Ogden City Offices, 505 East 2600 North

 

Ogden

12/22/2017: 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., McKay Dee Hospital Center, 4401 South Harrison Blvd.

12/22/2017: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Kubex Fitness - Ogden, 1186 E. 4600 s.

12/28/2017: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Teleperformance Ogden, 2261 Grant Ave

12/29/2017: 2 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., St. James Catholic Church Gym, 495 North Harrision Blvd.

1/9/2018: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Staker and Parsons Companies, 2350 South 1900 West

1/10/2018: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Ogden City, 2549 Washington Blvd.

 

Riverdale

12/29/2017: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Riverdale Community Center, 4360 South Parker Drive

 

Roy

1/12/2018: 3 p.m. - 8 p.m., Roy North Stake, 4250 South 2175 West

 

South Weber

12/21/2017: 2:30 p.m. - 8 p.m., Cedar Building South Weber Stake, 1814 East 7775 South

 

West Haven

12/28/2017: 2 p.m. - 8 p.m., Regal Country Building, 3939 West 4000 South

1/4/2018: 2:30 p.m. - 8 p.m., Ogden Utah West Stake, 3271 West 2550 South

 

How to donate blood or platelets

Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

 

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, from a computer or mobile device. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.

 

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.