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U.S. NEWS Friday 8 July 2022
IRS asks Treasury watchdog to probe Comey, McCabe tax audits

By FATIMA HUSSEIN ment of his lawsuit arising
Associated Press from his firing. The settle-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The ment agreement vacated
IRS commissioner has asked that decision, expunged
the Treasury Department’s from his personnel folder
internal watchdog to im- references to the firing and
mediately review the cir- entitled McCabe, who
cumstances surrounding joined the FBI in 1996, to his
intensive tax audits that full pension.
targeted ex-FBI Director According to the IRS web-
James Comey and former site the audits the two men
Deputy Director Andrew and their wives underwent
McCabe, frequent targets are part of a program that
of Donald Trump’s ire dur- randomly selects tax re-
ing his presidency. turns to examine tax com-
IRS spokesperson Jodie pliance and improve the
Reynolds said Thursday system.
the agency has officially McCabe, in comments on
referred the matter to the CNN, where he is a law
inspector general for tax enforcement analyst, de-
administration after Com- scribed the two audits as a
missioner Charles Rettig, “coincidence that ... really
who was nominated to the is almost impossible statisti-
job by Trump and is a close Former FBI Director James Comey speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill Washington, Dec. 17, 2018. cally” and said they raised
ally of the former president, Associated Press questions that should be
personally reached out. the FBI’s Russia investiga- from Democratic email the investigation, leading answered. He said it was
Reynolds insisted it is “ludi- tion that shadowed his accounts by Russian intelli- the FBI to take steps aimed “appropriate for the IRS to
crous and untrue to sug- presidency for years. Trump gence. They were released at fixing some fundamen- do the responsible thing
gest that senior IRS officials fired Comey in 2017 in the by the anti-secrecy group tal operations, such as ap- and look into it and deter-
somehow targeted specific midst of that investigation, WikiLeaks before the elec- plying for surveillance war- mine whether or not some-
individuals” for such audits. which ultimately was taken tion in what U.S. officials rants and interacting with thing, you know, went awry
The New York Times re- over by special counsel have said was an effort to confidential sources. in this program.”
ported Wednesday that Robert Mueller, named to harm Clinton’s campaign McCabe was fired in Comey said in a state-
the former FBI leaders were that job by Trump’s Justice and help Trump’s. Trump March 2018 after the Jus- ment that he could not say
subjected to rare IRS au- Department. repeatedly called the in- tice Department’s inspec- whether anything improp-
dits of their tax returns. The The FBI inquiry began in the vestigation a “witch hunt.” tor general concluded he er happened, “but after
newspaper said Comey summer of 2016, months A 2019 review by the Jus- had authorized the release learning how unusual this
was informed of the audit in before Trump was elected. tice Department’s inspec- of information to a news- audit was and how badly
2019 and McCabe learned The bureau had learned tor general knocked down paper reporter and then Trump wanted to hurt me
he was under scrutiny in that a former Trump cam- multiple lines of attack misled internal investigators during that time, it made
2021. Rettig, who term is paign aide had been say- against the Russia investi- about his role in the leak. sense to try to figure it out.”
set to expire in November, ing, before it was publicly gation, finding that officials The termination by Jeff Asked Thursday whether
faced blistering criticism known, that Russia had dirt properly opened the in- Sessions, Trump’s attorney Biden has confidence in
from Democrats for helping on Trump’s Democratic ri- quiry and that law enforce- general at the time, came Rettig, White House press
to shield Trump’s tax returns val for the White House, Hill- ment leaders were not mo- hours before McCabe was secretary Karine Jean-
from the public. ary Clinton, in the form of tivated by political bias. due to retire. Pierre simply noted that his
Trump repeatedly attacked stolen emails. The watchdog did identify McCabe won back his full term is set to expire later this
Comey and McCabe over Those emails were hacked a number of problems in pension as part of a settle- year.q

Texas governor authorizes state to

return migrants to border

By PAUL J. WEBER but for more than a year forces to forcibly take mi-
Associated Press Texas has patrolled the grants out of the country.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas border with an increas- But the action is still a signifi-
Gov. Greg Abbott on Thurs- ingly heavier hand. Abbott cant and untested expan-
day authorized state forces stopped short of autho- sion of the normal powers
to apprehend and trans- rizing Texas troopers and of the National Guard and
port migrants to the U.S.- National Guard members state police, who until now
Mexico border, claiming — who he has already de- have turned migrants over
the enforcement powers of ployed to the border by to Border Patrol agents,
federal agents and push- the thousands — to take and in some cases, made
ing the legal boundaries of migrants across the ports of arrests on state trespassing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a news conference on
the Republican’s escalat- entry and into Mexico. That charges. It raises questions March 10, 2022, in Weslaco, Texas.
ing efforts to curb the rising disappointed former Trump over the training they have Associated Press
number of crossings. administration officials who to detain and transport mi- about two decades. On the times between January
The federal government for months have pressured grants and is likely to invite Texas border, U.S. authori- and May, up from 417,000
is responsible for enforce- Abbott to declare an “in- legal challenges. Crossings ties stopped migrants from over the same span a year
ment of immigration laws, vasion” and order state are at or near the highest in crossing illegally 523,000 ago.q