Congressional hearings aren’t always a go-to, primetime viewing option. If more of them ran like Rep. Trey Gowdy’s (R-S.C.) cross examination of IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, perhaps they would boost their ratings — at least with debate nerds and news junkies.
In their exchange during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing Monday evening, Gowdy criticized the Commissioner for claiming that there was no evidence of criminal misconduct in the IRS targeting scandal, despite relying on “common sense” for his claim rather than reading the relevant statute. Gowdy’s questioning proceeded to destroy this “common sense” standard of legal analysis and additionally responded to Koskinen’s final defense that at the very least, sufficient evidence had been presented to demonstrate that the IRS coverup did not originate in the White House.
Pouncing on this defense, Gowdy asked if “it was Jay Carney that perpetuated the myth that it was two rogue agents in Ohio” and if the inaccurate information came from Congressional Republicans or the White House.
“My understanding is that was the president,” the Commissioner said.
“So that’s Jay Carney and the president both inserting themselves into the IRS scandal,” Gowdy said. “And you want to blame us for bringing the White House into it?”
It’s not exactly Jack Nicholson’s famous “You can’t handle the truth” speech, but it’s all the more impressive for being the real thing. Watch it below:
