Mortimer Caplin Comments on Former IRS Commissioner Walters
Caplin & Drysdale's founding member, Mortimer M. Caplin, is quoted by Tax Notes Today regarding the career of former IRS Commissioner Johnnie Walters. Mr. Walters, who was fired after refusing to investigate people on President Nixon's "enemies list," passed away on June 24 at the age of 94. For the complete article, please visit Tax Notes Today's website (subscription required).
Excerpt taken from the article.
Mortimer Caplin, IRS commissioner from 1961 to 1964 and founding member of Caplin & Drysdale, said he knew Walters quite well and was very fond of him.
"I was pleased to see [Walters] had the job as assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice" in 1969, Caplin said, adding, "That was a great background, and he succeeded a very great man at the IRS, Randolph Thrower."
Caplin said he had no idea what Walters was stepping into when he accepted Nixon's appointment as IRS commissioner and took the agency's helm in August 1971.
The notion that a president would use the IRS to punish political opponents or interfere in the exam process or investigations was abhorrent, Caplin said. "That was an invitation to resign," he said.
Mortimer M. Caplin (1916 - 2019)