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Stockman requests subpoena of NSA's White House, IRS phone logs

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Stockman (R-Texas 36) Tuesday asked the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee to subpoena all National Security Agency records of phone calls between employees of the White House and the Internal Revenue Service.  

Stockman's office hand delivered a letter Tuesday afternoon to the Committee's office requesting a subpoena "of all records of every phone call made from all public and private telephones of all IRS personnel to all public and private telephones of all White House personnel" collected under the NSA's recently-revealed PRISM program.

"Obama assures the public he only collected this information to uncover wrongdoing and protect civil liberties. Clearly he would want us to use it to investigate this case, because otherwise he'd be lying," said Stockman.

"If Obama has nothing to hide he has nothing to fear," said Stockman.

"This case must be investigated fully, given admitted wrongdoing by the IRS, its potentially criminal implications and revelations the White House has been less than honest about what they knew and when," said Stockman.  "Obama says the PRISM program is perfectly legal, so there should be no problem whatsoever in providing the information on White House and IRS phone calls."

"The only possible scenario in which the administration refuses to comply would be if it would reveal unconstitutional or illegal behavior," said Stockman.

Stockman's office also electronically delivered the same letter to the Homeland Security Committee chaired by Rep. Michael McCaul.  The text of the letter follows:

May 11, 2013

The Honorable Darrell IssaChairman, House Committee on Government Reform & Oversight2157 Rayburn House Office BuildingWashington, D.C.  20515

   Chairman Issa:

   Thank you for your ongoing efforts to investigate abuses of civil liberties by employees of the Internal Revenue Service.  

   These abuses seem to indicate a larger, higher pattern of ideologically-driven harassment of Americans which Congress has an obligation to fully investigate with every tool at our disposal.

   Frankly I am disappointed by revelations Obama administration personnel have been less than forward about what they knew and when they knew it.

   As you know, recent revelations the National Security Agency has been keeping an "ongoing, daily" log of every domestic phone call in the United States.

   I respectfully request your Committee subpoena the records of every phone call made from all public and private telephones of all IRS personnel to all public and private telephones of all White House personnel.

   If President Obama is collecting such information, he certainly would want us to use it.  If he has nothing to hide he has nothing to be afraid of.

   Warmest wishes,

   STEVE STOCKMAN   Member of Congress

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Stockman requests subpoena of NSA's White House, IRS phone logs
http://stockman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/stockman-requests-subpoena-of-nsa-s-white-house-irs-phone-logs

John Hames