Watchdog Wades Into IRS Probes Of Comey, McCabe Under Trump Gov't

The chances of an American being randomly picked for a tax audit by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are approximately one in 30,000.

Photo Insert: Former FBI Director James Comey

Despite this, two of Donald Trump's most vocal detractors — former FBI Director James Comey and former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe — were flagged and given the fine-tooth comb treatment while he was in office, Stephen Collinson, Caitlin Hu and Shelby Rose reported for CNN.

The IRS has categorically denied conducting any politically motivated audits, claiming that the exams were ordered by civil officials rather than political appointees. An internal watchdog has been tasked with investigating the situation.

Trump told The New York Times, which broke the story first, that he didn't know anything about it.

However, some Democrats smell a rat. "Donald Trump has no respect for the rule of law, so if he tried to subject his political enemies to additional IRS scrutiny that would surprise no one," said Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon.

Trump attempted to establish a patronage relationship with Comey before firing him in response to the FBI's probe into his campaign's ties to Russia. McCabe, Comey's deputy who now works as a CNN commentator, was constantly targeted by Trump after he ordered a counterintelligence investigation into whether Trump was acting at the direction of Russia – and then sacked just two days before he was supposed to retire.

McCabe has since negotiated an agreement with the Justice Department, and his benefits and clean military record have been restored.

The idea of utilizing the IRS to target political opponents is reminiscent of ex-President Richard Nixon's abuses of power.

The articles of impeachment prepared against Nixon were never utilized because he resigned before he could be removed from office — but one of them accused him of attempting to obtain improper tax information for political purposes. It's possible that everything in this situation is legal. But Trump has never hidden his ambition to use his presidential power to exact vengeance on his adversaries.

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