Ben Carson: The IRS is even targeting my family and friends because I’ve criticized Obama

Written By : John Hawkins
February 13, 2014

How long  is this going to go on before Republicans in Congress start treating it with the seriousness that it deserves?

On Monday, Dr. Benjamin Carson, the former director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, said he and his family were targeted by the IRS in retribution for comments critical of Barack Obama, Newsmax reported.

According to Carson, audits and other harassment began in May or June of 2013, just a few months after his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast. Gradually, he added, the harassment expanded to include family members, associates, and his charitable endeavors.

“I’ve been quite — I would say astonished at the level of hostility that I have encountered,” he told Newsmax TV’s John Bachman.

“The IRS has investigated me. They said, ‘I want to look at your real estate holdings.’ There was nothing there. ‘Well, let’s expand to an entire [year], everything.’ There was nothing there. ‘Let’s do another year.’ Finally, after a few months, they went away. But they’ve come after my family, they’ve come after my friends, they’ve come after associates,” he added.

Until now, Newsmax said, Dr. Carson has shied away from tying the IRS actions to his criticism of Obama, but now he says Americans live “in a Gestapo age” even though they may not realize it.

He also said Congress has to step up to the plate and do its job.

“The reason we have divided government is if one branch of the government gets out of control, starts thinking they’re too big for their britches, you need to be able to have control,” he said.

…”We sit there and we say, ‘Oh this is horrible.’ But we don’t do anything. And see, that’s what I’m trying to get our congressional people, our lawmakers – they’ve got to get courage,” he said. “Because why would anybody who has an agenda to fundamentally change this nation, why would they stop if no one is opposing them?”

Carson also believes the retribution will continue, but promises he will not be forced into silence.

“The only reason that I haven’t shut up is because in Romans 8 it says ‘If God be for you, who can be against you?’ And I believe in that protection that God gives you,” he added.

Carson’s experience is “not that different from what many others are experiencing,” said GOP lawyer Cleta Mitchell. “It’s quite, quite troublesome and disturbing.”

“I have heard this same story over and over and over throughout the last year,” she said. “I cannot tell you how many donors to conservative organizations, people who have become active, have said ‘I was never audited until I started giving money to X conservative candidate or cause.’”

When IRS employees are not just being fired, but going to jail for criminally targeting American citizens who are exercising their First Amendment rights, then you’ll know that this scandal is finally being treated with the seriousness it deserves.