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Sect forum blasts IRS tactics

Title: Sect forum blasts IRS tactics
Date: Tuesday, 5 November 1985
Publisher: Clearwater Sun (Florida)
Author: Susan Snyder
Main source: link (64 KiB)

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CLEARWATER — In its ongoing battle against the Internal Revenue Service, the Church of Scientology Monday hosted a public forum featuring a presentation from the National Coalition of IRS Whistleblowers and former U.S. Congressman George Hansen.

In January, Hansen, an Idaho Republican and a longtime critic of the IRS, joined the sect in charging that the IRS routinely singles out people for investigation because of their religious and political affiliations.

At that time, Hansen said, "It is shocking to any thinking American to imagine this kind of thing can happen in the United States."

The sect presented Hansen, who served seven Congressional terms, with a framed copy of the sect's "Code of Honor," written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, for his efforts against the IRS.

"It's interesting, and that's why we had it here," Ludwig Alpers, sect spokesman, said of the forum.

Monday's presentation, Hansen said he has been traveling around the country for the past 10 months promoting six television advertisements depicting violent and unjust acts committed by the IRS against people who have evaded their taxes.

All six of the two-minute dramatizations were shown to a group of about 60 people in the Crystal Ballroom of the sect's headquarters, the former Fort Harrison Hotel.

One of the commercials showed a woman being forced from her Volkswagen after IRS officials bashed in all the windows while repossessing it.

Hansen said the commercials have been shown on various independent television stations and by CBS. He said he has been pushing for the cable television market because it is a more available market.

"We have an 800-number and not many of the big media can take care of it," he said. "It doesn't do you much good to take on more than you can handle. But CBS had such a good response, they've asked for more."

Paul Defosses, president of the National Coalition of IRS Whistleblowers and a former IRS employee for 20 years, said public awareness is the only way to fight the injustice of the governement agency.

"The IRS is terrified of public exposure, and the only way to win is with public exposure," Defosses said.