by DAVID STROM
Remember the minor controversy–maybe not so minor, if you were paying attention–regarding the IRS showing up at Matt Taibbi’s door the day he testified before Congress about the government’s censorship efforts?
No? Well the MSM didn’t think it odd that one of the most feared government agencies in America (who doesn’t shiver when they hear the word “audit?”) sends agents to your house. IRS agents almost never do that, because it is scary, expensive, and unnecessary unless there is a criminal investigation going on. It is extremely rare.
The timing was certainly odd, and it was noticed. A few people, conspiratorially I am sure, thought that maybe it was an intimidation tactic. Shocking, I know, especially since the whole point of the hearing that Taibbi was testifying at was the “weaponization of government,” which is something the Democrats vehemently deny happens.
Well, Jim Jordan, the Chair of the Weaponization Committee asked the IRS to explain itself. And wouldn’t you know, the circumstances of the case turned out to be even more odd. Almost suspiciously so, if your mind works that way. Jordan got the documents of the case from the IRS and some very interesting facts came to light.
The IRS claims that the visit was spurred by an investigation into his tax returns of 2018–four years ago since 2018 taxes would be filed in 2019–because they had questions about identity theft.
Um hmm. OK. How long has that investigation been going on, anyway? Have they been desperately trying to get in touch with Taibbi since 2019 and he has been avoiding them?
Well, no. Taibbi uses an accountant to do his taxes, and correspondence would go not to Taibbi alone but to him and his accountant. The IRS claims they sent two letters to Taibbi back in 2019 and 2020. Neither of the supposed recipients ever received the letter, and while Taibbi has the incentive to play dumb, his accountant most certainly doesn’t. If he has to choose between pissing off a small client or the IRS, his incentive is to keep the IRS happy for obvious reasons.
His job, literally, depends upon it. Plus there is the whole “penalty of perjury” thing, which these days only applies to political dissidents, not regime shills.
Still, OK. Assume that they are telling the truth and things got lost in the mail. Things have been dormant since March 2020, according to the IRS’ telling. No word at all from them, no concern, no nothing.
Then in 2022 Taibbi publishes the Twitter Files, and guess what?! A case was opened up on CHRISTMAS EVE, a Saturday, and a full-blown investigation of Taibbi begins.
Christmas eve. On a Saturday. I guess that was one very diligent IRS agent.
Saturday, December 24, 2022. I am impressed. Nothing suspicious here at all.
The IRS went into overdrive, investigating every aspect of Taibbi’s life. Using both public and private databases, downloading his Wikipedia page (which obviously has to do with his taxes), investigating his voter registration, his hunting and fishing licenses, and whether he had a gun permit.
Hunting permits. They compiled a whole dossier about Taibbi and his work.
All are very relevant to his 2018 tax returns, to be sure. Good to know that the IRS is thorough. It took them 3 years from the last time they even bothered to (they say) contact him, but they got around to putting his life under a microscope once he annoyed the Democrats.
Funny how that works.
And then they decided to make a very unusual visit. Not immediately, but the day Taibbi testified before Congress.
Biden like Hitler, Stalin, Castro and Mao trying to prevent the truth