With the recent release of an Inspector General report indicating ‘inappropriate criteria’ were used against conservative groups, America continues to closely follow the IRS scandal. Today, Steven Miller, former acting IRS commissioner, is facing tough questions from the House Ways and Means Committee, but another name has come to the forefront of the controversy, and that is Sarah Hall Ingram.
Sarah Hall Ingram was the IRS official who led the tax-exempt organizations unit during 2009-2012, when the targeting of tea party groups was taking place. Ms. Ingram has since been promoted and now is in charge of the IRS division responsible for the Affordable Care Act, or ‘Obamacare‘.
While still the commissioner of the Tax-Exempt and Government Entities Division, Ingram was assigned to head the implementation of ObamaCare at the IRS in 2010 after the law was enacted. It is not clear when she stopped being the head of the tax-exempt office or how active her role was there while she was implementing ObamaCare.
Another issue that is even more disturbing, in light of the recent scandal, is the fact that Ingram received over $100,000 in bonuses during the time period in question.
Ingram received a $7,000 bonus in 2009, according to data obtained by The Washington Examiner from the IRS, then a $34,440 bonus in 2010, $35,400 in 2011 and $26,550 last year, for a total of $103,390. Her annual salary went from $172,500 to $177,000 during the same period.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) described the Ingram awards as “stunning, just stunning.”
Ingram’s name was mentioned more than once during the hearing earlier today, but it is yet to be determined whether she will face repercussions for her involvement in the IRS scandal. The agency has seen two resignations thus far: that of Steven Miller, and also Joseph Grant, who will retire on June 3rd, after only being appointed to the tax exempt division on May 8th.
The American people spend a great amount of time on sports and weight loss and hair care. Will they spend the time to find out about the IRS scandal? By the end of the Memorial Day Observances it behooves every citizen to know that Sarah Hall Ingram, the one in charge of overseeing which organizations received tax exempt status in the years between 2009 and 2013 received bonuses totalling in excess of $100,0000. Of the 298 organizations that were denied or delayed tax exempt status, 98 were Tea Party related and many more that were Patriot or less gov groups or certain religions were delayed or denied tax exempt status. Organizations that were progressive related were not delayed or denied tax exempt status. There needs to be a special prosecutor and/or a special committee to find out how this situation that may have corrupted the IRS during the Obama Administration happened. Shades of the fall of Nixon?