IRS head disputes obstruction allegations

WASHINGTON – The head of the IRS brushed aside accusations Monday that the agency has obstructed investigations into the targeting of tea party and other political groups, even as Republican lawmakers questioned his credibility.

Commissioner John Koskinen was appearing at a rare evening hearing on Capitol Hill to answer questions about lost emails by a key figure in the probe. Today, the committee will hear from a White House official who once worked at the IRS.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight Committee, accused Koskinen of misleading the committee in the spring, when he promised to turn over Lois Lerner’s emails. Since then, the IRS has disclosed that Lerner’s computer crashed in 2011, losing an unknown number of those emails.

Koskinen said he first learned there was a problem with Lerner’s computer in February, but didn’t learn that emails were lost until April. The IRS notified Congress June 13.

Lerner is the former head of the division that processes applications for tax-exempt status.

“I subpoenaed you here tonight because, frankly, I’m sick and tired of your game-playing in response to congressional oversight,” Issa told Koskinen.

Koskinen said, “All the emails we have will be provided. I did not say I would provide you emails that disappeared. If you have a magical way for me to do that I’d be happy to know about it.”

He added, “I never said I would provide you emails we didn’t have.”