Rep. Chaffetz on IRS Probe: 'We're Not Letting Go of This'

Rep. Jason Chaffetz says the House Oversight Committee has no plans to drop its probe of allegations the IRS targeted conservative groups just because emails from the time period are missing. 

IRS Commissioner John Koskinen testified earlier this year that it might take two years to produce all the emails of former IRS official Lois Lerner. But on Friday, the agency announced the emails had been lost in a 2011 hard drive crash, and there are no backups.

"This is a recurring theme, from Fast and Furious, right on down to Benghazi and now to this IRS. It's the same basic drumbeat, Chaffetz, a Utah Republican, said Thursday on Fox News Channel's "Hannity."

I think they're trying to play out the clock."

But Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa is "tenacious," Chaffetz said, and issued a second set of subpoenas to get the hardware.

"I think we're going to have to bring in the geeks and the nerds," he said. "We're not letting go of this. We've got to get to the truth."

Related Stories:

• Rep. Boustany: White House Must Help Recover 'Lost' IRS Emails
• Issa: I Won't Go on 'Fishing Expedition' for Lerner's Emails