Today though at the outset it must be said that it is a story with a central theme that is shared by countless thousands of other Americans who have not yet been heard from though I pray that they will be it must be made publicly known that across this country
Citizens just like me are being targeted by an administration willing to take any action necessary to silence opposition I am an average American who prior to 2009 had never been active in the processes of government but after volunteering to work in the polls in Texas in the 2009 elections I saw fundamental procedural
Problems that I felt couldn’t go and addressed so I started true the vote an organization that grew into a national movement to ensure that every American voter has an opportunity to participate in elections that are free and fair my life before I got involved and spoke out for good government stands in stark
Contrast to the life I now lead as a wife a mother a small business woman working with my husband raising our children and participating in my church and PTA the government collected my taxes and left me and my family in peace but once I helped found through the vote
In King Street Patriots I found myself a target of this federal government shortly after filing IRS forms to establish 501 C 3 and C for tax-exempt organizations an assortment of federal entities including law enforcement agencies and congressman Cummings came knocking at my door in nearly two decades of running our small business my
Husband and I never dealt with any government agency outside of filing our annual tax returns we’ve never been audited we’ve never been investigated but all that changed upon submitting applications for the non profit statuses of true the vote in King Street since that filing in 2010 my private business is my nonprofit
Organizations my family and I have been subjected to more than 15 instances of audit or inquiry by federal agencies in 2011 my personal and business tax returns were audited by the Internal Revenue Service each audit going back for a number of years in 2012 my business was subjected
To inspection by OSHA on a select occasion when neither my husband or I were present and though the agency wrote that it found nothing serious or significant it still issued fines in excess of $20,000 in 2012 and again in 2013 the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms conducted comprehensive audits
At my place of business and beginning in 2010 the FBI contacted my nonprofit organization on six separate occasions wanting to call through membership manifests in conjunction with domestic terrorism cases they eventually dropped all matters and have now redacted nearly all my files all of these incursions into my affairs began after filing
Applications for tax exemption there is no other remarkable event there’s no other reason to explain how for decades I went unnoticed but now find myself on the receiving end of interagency coordination into and against all facets of my life both personal and private bear in mind distinguished ladies and
Gentlemen of this subcommittee these events were occurring while the IRS was subjecting me to multiple rounds of abusive enquiries with requests to provide every Facebook and Twitter I’d ever posted questions about my political aspirations and demands to know the names of groups that I’d spoken with the
Content of what I’d said and everywhere I intended to speak in the coming year the answer to these sorts of questions are not of interest to the typical IRS analysts but they are certainly of interest to a political machine that would put its own survival against the Civil Liberties of a private citizen
This government attacked me because of my political beliefs but I refuse to be cast as a victim not to the IRS not the FBI not to OSHA not to the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms or to any other government agency I am NOT a victim because a victim has no options I
Do have options and I intend to use them to the fullest extent of my capabilities as an American citizen I am part of a country that still believes in freedom of speech and so I will continue to speak out here in Congress and all across this country I will continue to
Press in every legal way possible as I did by filing suit against the Internal Revenue Service no American citizens should be willing to accept a government that uses its power against its own people after all the tyranny and all the things that have been done to my organization’s
To my family and to me many people would quit and mr. chairman many Americans have quit I have heard over and over that people are afraid to tell their stories but know this my experience at the hands of this government in the last five years have made me more determined ever than
Before to stand before you and to all of America and say that I will not retreat I will not surrender I will not be intimidated and I will not ask for permission to exercise my constitutional rights I come before you today mr. chairman on behalf of Americans just
Like me asking for a solution to end this ugly chapter of political intimidation there was a time when people of goodwill were encouraged to participate in the processes of government not targeted because of it I applaud your request of the Internal Revenue Service to withdraw a proposed regulation limiting political speech by
Nonprofit organizations that action should be taken quickly and without fail because if it is not it will effectively codify into law the very thing that brings me here today if those regulations pass nonprofit organizations across the country will be destroyed no American regardless of their political affiliation should support the
Silencing of political speech beyond ending the proposed IRS regulations I ask you I implore you as representatives to the people of this great nation to pass a law that protects all citizens of this country from the increasing use of such abusive practices pass a law that exposes government officials who trample
On the rights of ordinary citizens not allow them to continue to cower behind a veil of secrecy abuse unethical and unfair send president a bill that makes public at the option of persons and entities regulated all communication between government agencies and those they regulate no restricted redacted selectively released files give us a
Truly transparent process protect the people restore the Liberty to the people because we will not be silenced thank you for this opportunity mr. chairman committees members thank you missing Breck
