US House Conservative Faction Fails to Impeach Tax Agency Chief

Members of the conservative Republican US House Freedom Caucus on Tuesday failed to impeach Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner John Koskinen for "high crimes and misdemeanors," according to an official tally posted by the Office of the Clerk.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Koskinen has come under fire from Republicans over allegations of withholding relevant e-mails relating to a scandal accusing the IRS of targeting conservative groups for audits.

“Koskinen has gotten away w[ith] stonewalling Congress, obstructing justice, breaching public trust,” Congressman Jim Jordan, who introduced the motion for the impeachment on the House floor, stated on his Twitter account. “It’s time Congress held him accountable.”

The move to impeach Koskinen will be referred to the House Judiciary Committee. The motion to refer passed 342-72.

Jordan also said Koskinen allowed 422 back-up tapes and 24,000 emails to be destroyed under his watch despite subpoenas and preservation orders.