WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Koskinen has come under fire from Republicans over allegations of withholding relevant e-mails relating to the scandal accusing the IRS of targeting conservative groups.
"Impeachment is the appropriate tool to restore public confidence in the IRS and to protect the institutional interests of Congress," House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz said in a statement late Tuesday.
Chaffetz sought Koskinen’s ouster since July this year, accusing the IRS chief of falsely claiming the tax agency disclosed all e-mails relevant to the Oversight Committee’s over two-year investigation. IRS agents are accused of subjecting to undue scrutiny conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status.
The Washington Post reports pursuing impeachment against an agency leader, a step beyond contempt charges, is an unusual and rarely used mechanism.
The impeachment resolution, sponsored by 18 committee Republicans, goes into the House Judiciary Committee.
The committee’s top Democrat, Representative Elijah Cummings, denounced the resolution as a "ridiculous" waste of taxpayer money.
