To the list of conduct once unacceptable to–but since embraced by–the Internal Revenue Service we can now add false promises. Called before a House subcommittee to explain his agency’s loss of two years’ worth of emails sought by Congress, IRS director John Koskinen (below) said on June 23 that he knew about the missing emails in March when he said he would deliver them but overpromised because he wanted to see if they were recoverable elsewhere.
Perhaps mindful of the value of bashing tax collectors in an election year, Republicans were outraged. Then came the testimony on June 24 by National Archivist David Ferriero, who said the IRS failure to report the missing emails may violate the Federal Records Act. Less clear: whether the IRS targeted Tea Party groups for scrutiny because of their politics.
–M.C.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- How Far Trump Would Go
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- Saving Seconds Is Better Than Hours
- Why Your Breakfast Should Start with a Vegetable
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Ryan Gosling
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com