Thank God for Judicial Watch.
Judicial Watch recently announced they received documents from the IRS revealing the Obama IRS coordinated with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Obama White House Behavioral Sciences “Team” in a $5 million program to pressure Americans to sign up for Obamacare.
Even worse, the documents also contain inter-agency agreements between the IRS and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) devised to circumvent potential legal prohibitions on unauthorized disclosure or inspection of taxpayer information collected by the IRS, says Judicial Watch.
If Obamacare is so great, why did they have to bully and threaten Americans like a mafia shakedown?
Via Judicial Watch:
The documents were produced under court order in an April 2017 Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the IRS and HHS filed after agencies failed to respond to November 2016 FOIA requests for:
- All records concerning IRS efforts to reach out to individuals who either claimed an exemption or paid a penalty for failing to purchase mandatory health insurance under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Such records include, but are not limited to, communications, policies, and procedures pursuant to such efforts;
- Samples of any letters, notices or other materials prepared and/or sent to taxpayers encouraging the purchase of mandatory health insurance; and
- Any records regarding cooperation between IRS and the Department of Health and Human Services or any other government entity, whether state or federal, regarding efforts to reach out to individuals who have not purchased mandatory health insurance. Such records, include, but are not limited to, communications, agreements, memoranda of understanding, and any other inter-agency communications. Of special interest are any such records regarding the sharing of protected taxpayer information.
The creepy letters were drafted with input from the White House Behavioral Sciences Team and CMS, and have been approved by CMS…..the IRS staff provided a lot of assistance on the PDF.
Judicial Watch released documents showing the letters targeted people who legally refused to sign up for Obamacare or claimed an exemption.
Here’s what the letter says to people who claimed an exemption:
Why am I getting this letter?
The law requires people to have a minimum level of health coverage, quality for an exemption, or pay a penalty when they file their taxes. Our records show you claimed an exemption from the health coverage requirement when you filed your 2015 taxes. If you or someone in your family doesn’t have health insurance or an exemption next year, you’ll likely owe a penalty for 2017. We are writing to make sure you know how you can avoid this penalty by signing up for health insurance or getting an exemption.
It appears that the Obama administration KNEW they were possibly violating the law regarding taxpayer confidentiality. They also sent this disclosure:
Inspection or disclosure by employee of United States
If any officer or employee of the United States knowingly, or by reason of negligence, inspects or discloses any return or return information with respect to a taxpayer in violation of any provision of section 6103, such taxpayer may bring a civil action for damages against the United States in a district court of the United States.
According to JW, HHS may have overstepped its authority by threatening people with penalty fees.
How much will my penalty be next year if I don’t sign up?
The penalty for not having any health-coverage or an exemption in 2017 will be at least $695 per adult and $347 per child (up to $2,085 per family), and could be more, depending on your income.
President of Judicial Watch Tom Fitton had this to say about the new Obama IRS scandal uncovered:
“So now we have more evidence of more Obama IRS abuses targeting innocent Americans – all in the name of Obamacare. No wonder it took a federal lawsuit and court order to get these documents—as they show the Obama White House and its agencies were happy to threaten and treat Americans like lab rats in order to bolster Obamacare.”
This new development shouldn’t surprise us as this is the same IRS that gave a Satanic group tax exempt status in 10 days while Christian groups waited years.
