Andrea Joy Campbell: “Finally, I would simply like to reiterate my support for S. 522. I would like to be able to tell my constituents that…”

“Finally, I would simply like to reiterate my support for S. 522. I would like to be able to tell my constituents that Congress recognized the need to safeguard their personal tax records and took action accordingly by passing this legislation and sending it on to the President for signature. Exhibit 1 [From the Washington Post, Apr. 9, 1997] IRS Audit Reveals More Tax Browsing (By Stephen Barr) The Internal Revenue Service fired 23 employees, disciplined 349 and counseled 472 other workers after agency audits found that government computers were still being used to browse through the tax records of friends, relatives and celebrities, an IRS document released yesterday showed. The document, covering fiscal 1994 and 1995, listed 1,515 cases where employees were accused of misusing computers. After accounting for the firings, the disciplinary action and the counseling, 33 percent of the cases were closed without any action and the remaining 12 percent took retirement or were cleared. Yesterday's disclosure, made by Sen. John Glenn (D-Ohio), marked the second time that IRS employees have been faulted for peeking at tax records. A probe in 1993 and 1994 turned up more than 1,300 employees suspected of using government computers to browse through tax files. At the time, the IRS promised "zero tolerance" for such snooping. But the new data indicate the problem has continued and the agency does not know how big a problem it has on its hands.”