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Freedom Caucus committed to impeaching IRS chief despite Huelskamp loss

by Naomi Jagoda 08/03/16 01:14 PM ET

The House Freedom Caucus is vowing to carry on with its push to impeach Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen, one day after a lead sponsor of the impeachment resolution lost his primary election.

“The Freedom Caucus is still committed to pursuing a vote on impeachment of the IRS commissioner,” caucus spokeswoman Alyssa Farah said in an email Wednesday. “This is a position held by all Freedom Caucus members as well as many other members of the GOP conference.”

{mosads}Freedom Caucus member Rep. Tim Huelskamp (Kan.) on Tuesday was defeated in his primary by physician Roger Marshall, who was backed by groups including the Kansas Farm Bureau.

Huelskamp, along with Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) introduced a resolution to impeach Koskinen last month in an effort to force a floor vote on the matter in September. The filing of the resolution went against the wishes of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).

Freedom Caucus members and some other House Republicans argue that Koskinen should be impeached because he allegedly did not comply with a subpoena and lied under oath during a House investigation into the IRS’s handling of Tea Party groups’ applications for tax-exempt status. The Republican Party platform approved at last month’s convention in Cleveland also called for Koskinen’s impeachment.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chairman of the Freedom Caucus, said the resolution is on track for a September vote and the caucus plans to pursue impeachment “as strongly as we possibly can.”

“That’s why we filed a motion.mThat’s why we made a motion,” he told The Hill. “We’re committed to continue to move on that.”

In a statement earlier Wednesday, Jordan blasted GOP insiders for opposing Huelskamp in his primary.

“Republicans need to be unified behind conservative principles to stop the Obama-Clinton agenda,” he said. “The House Republican leadership’s opposition to Tim Huelskamp significantly damaged the ability of House Republicans to do that.”

– Scott Wong contributed; updated at 2:42 p.m.