Report From The President
Ellen Johnson
Ellen Johnson
March 1997
On February 18, the Internal Revenue Service seized and entered the Murray-O'Hair home with the FBI and DEA in tow. They removed the personal belongings of the Murray-O'Hairs, to be sold at auction for payment on back taxes and penalties. We can't imagine why the FBI or DEA were there. We don't know exactly what was removed from the home. There was a television crew there to film the action, and it is our suspicion that the IRS must have called them to make sure the world could see what they were doing to an Atheist family.
The IRS would not allow Spike Tyson, who was house-sitting for the family at our request, to enter the house to retrieve his belongings. In fact, the IRS is demanding that Spike provide receipts for every item he claims is his. Of course he can't do that. After all, how many of us could produce receipts for all of our belongings? Spike has been a pillar of strength throughout it all. He has had all of his belongings (including clothing) seized and was thrown out into the street with no place to live. But our wonderful employees at the GHQ let him stay with them until he could find a place of his own.
The IRS set a date of March 22 for the auction. Enter Travis County Probate Judge Guy Herman. He had "receivers" appointed for the three family members, and they quickly filed for protection in US bankruptcy court - individually for Jon Murray, Robin Murray-O'Hair, and Madalyn Murray O'Hair. That effectively shut-down the IRS actions. Let me repeat that because it feels so good. It shut-down the IRS actions against the Murray-O'Hairs. It has been our opinion all along that the IRS's claim against Dr. O'Hair was way out of line. It seems also to be the opinion held by Mr. B. Weldon Ponder, Jr., the bankruptcy lawyer handling Jon Murray's case with receiver Gordon McNutt. According to the Austin-American Statesman, on March 22, Mr. Ponder stated "The IRS, in my opinion, has oversimplified the situation. We think there's a serious question of how much is owed and by whom. (The IRS's) attitude is they've got priority over everyone else and to heck with everyone else."
We don't know what the exact amounts are that the IRS claims the Murray-O'Hairs owe, because each reported amount differs from the previous one. Approximate amounts are: $1,000 for Robin Murray-O'Hair, $12,000 for Jon Murray, and $250,000 for Dr. O'Hair.
In bankruptcy court the IRS will have to prove their claims against the Murray-O'Hairs. That will be interesting. I have been told that it will be easier for Spike to reclaim his property with the bankruptcy trustee. I hope so. We do intend to proceed with our own claim against the property of the Murray-O'Hairs to recover our missing funds. We will keep you informed.
![[top]](/pix/arrow.gif){kind=icon}