Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Lois Lerner Still Has Access to IRS Computer


You all surely remember Danny Werfel. He's the new acting IRS commish whose voice sounds like he is going through puberty. Yeah, he's a real take charge guy, practically another Norman Schwarzkopf. I have a question that maybe Danny could clear up. What exactly does it mean when Lois Lerner is placed on administrative leave with pay and can still access her IRS computer from home? I mean this looks like nothing really happened in spite of all the press to the contrary? Is she planning another conference in Anaheim or maybe a new video or does she just log on to check her inbox for fan mail?
Eliana Johnson at National Review Online has been all over the IRS scandal since it broke and she quotes her source within the IRS;
[Lerner] can still access taxpayer data. If your duties do not include dealing with taxpayers, you are forbidden from seeing the information. That is a violation of IRS policy, and if she actually accesses any file that contains any Personal Identifiable Information, it is a felony violation. That would include emails that she has in her files discussing any taxpayer case that contains the name, address, phone numbers or tax data from a case. Actual Unauthorized Access (IRS uses the term UNAX) would be a really good reason for the new boss to can her in a hurry. I am sure a simple examination of her email files and hard drive would discover she still has taxpayer data.
Johnson makes the point that accessing taxpayer information while on suspension would be illegal and normally an employee's computer would be wiped clean but Lerner's has not. I'm sure Danny will want to clear this up for us.

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