Joseph Banister          

1) BIO/BACKGROUND

Joseph R. Banister is believed to be the first Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent ever to discover alleged wrong-doing in the administration and enforcement of the federal income tax and then confront his superiors and top officials in the IRS about those allegations and his belief that taxpayer rights were being violated.  After confronting top IRS officials with the results contained in his investigative report, his inquiries were summarily rebuffed and he was encouraged to resign.  He resigned on February 25th, 1999.  Mr. Banister is a graduate of San Jose State University.  He became a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in 1991 but left the practice of public accounting in 1993 to accept appointment to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, IRS Criminal Investigation Division, as a Special Agent (Criminal Investigator).  In addition to his investigative duties as a sworn federal law enforcement officer, Mr. Banister was the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (O.C.D.E.T.F.) and Asset Forfeiture Coordinator for the IRS Central California District.  He also assisted with firearms and defensive tactics training, as well as community outreach.  Since leaving the IRS, Mr. Banister has worked closely with Bob Schulz and the We The People Foundation to pressure our elected representatives to investigate and correct the deceitful and often destructive tactics used by the agency against innocent, hard-working Americans.

2) COMMENTS ON HEARING/EVIDENCE

If each American takes the time, as I did, to investigate the way in which the IRS administers and enforces the federal income tax, I believe the evidence will absolutely shock their conscience and cause them to immediately join the effort to end this terrible blight on the American tradition of liberty and justice for all.

Joseph R. Banister, C.P.A., former Special Agent, IRS Criminal Investigation Division