Rep. Kelly Introduces Taxpayer Knowledge of IRS Investigations Act

Statement

U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) -- a member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight -- issued the following statement today after introducing H.R. 1026, the Taxpayer Knowledge of IRS Investigations Act, which would amend the tax code to permit the release of certain information regarding the status of ongoing investigations related to the improper disclosure of taxpayer information by employees of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Under Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code, it is currently a felony for an IRS official to disclose such information to the public or to another government agency, which bars victims of wrongful IRS leaks from knowing the status of their no-longer private information.

"The revelation of the IRS's targeting of innocent American citizens shook the foundation of the American people's relationship with their government. The scandal took a sharp turn for the worse when we discovered that the private information of many American taxpayers was deliberately leaked to outside organizations. Insult was added to injury when the victims of these leaks were denied access to any information about the agency's investigations into these criminal matters. The Taxpayer Knowledge of IRS Investigations Act will restore essential accountability to this troubled agency by changing the tax code to grant American citizens the critical transparency that they deserve but have been wrongly denied. With illicit targeting apparently still transpiring, this commonsense legislation is more necessary than ever."

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