This isn't just a casual visit from your local federal law enforcement groups, this is a well orchestrated and detailed analysis/investigation/fact finding operation. Given the manner in which this business has grown exponentially over the last 5 years, these guys are counting the number of News-Sentinel papers this organizations buys and gives away on Fridays, nor are they counting the number of lottery tickets inside the plexiglass box, or the number of Mayfield's jugs sitting in the cooler, they're looking at the comprehensive fuel distribution networks/costs associated with the pricing methodology and possible price inflation/fixing given the unusual fuel price fluctuations over the past 18 months. Having the IRS in tow, never really causes anybody to feel good about anything.

Also, in my opinion, given the propsensity of some of the principles of this organization to back a number of "prominent" real estate brokers, some of which cost a number of banks a tremendous amount of money, some of those records maintained within this organization could be considered evendence in any ongoing investigation into some of the losses associated with the banks which took some big hits in this community and in a number of places around the south.

if they were involved in something shady.Would rock the state as the Govenor is a Haslam.shrugs.

for several days, looking into other businesses/offices for whatever it is they are looking for.

Let's see which of the local so called journalists can demonstrate the necessary objectivity for reporting on a business in the community which has been shut down/raided/searched (whatever verb you want to use) by an FBI/IRS task force, the size of which this community has never seen in play for one single business. The best news outlet for the information associated with this investigation may be the Tennessean (which is curiously silent on this topic so far), given the local media's propensity to get their feelings and their advertising departments revenue streams in the way of their journalistic insticts and credibility (assuming they have any).

Things like this do not happen out of thin air, some federal judge has signed and issued the necessary search warrant for whatever it is that the agents are looking for.

Get your popcorn ready.

Thanks for the update. Glad it was confirmed.

Were the IRS agents regular agents or CID? If they were regular agents expect tax/accountancy/finance issues...If they were CID expect issues of a more criminal nature.

This is pure speculation but it makes more sense to me than other theories going around.

The Federal Government, through the IRS, has a program that pays people to blow the whistle on individuals and/or businesses that are not paying the taxes the owe. If someone blows the whistle on a company the size of Pilot, they could get 15-30% of whatever the government was owed and successfully collects because of the whistleblower.

There could be someone getting rich off this.

Here is a link to more info about the program:
(link...)

Obama's Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act is as about as genuine as Bush's Clear Skies Act.

But you are correct in that there’s nothing but speculation and theories to this point.

And that assumes this stuff ever gets to a point. Ask Chad Tindell.

Appearent reason reported; (link...)

Cleveland TV station has KNS report with some amusing comments.

And yet again, all the Browns fans who had so eagerly hopped on the Haslam bandwagon have been thrown from it and kicked in the teeth once they hit the dirt. There is an easier solution than the week after week, year after year heartbreak: Just stop being Browns fans. All they will do is disappoint you.

Anything to do the the Browns is a curse ,,

The statement concluded that it was not for the company to say if the investigation was “politically motivated.”

Hahaha. They've been reading the KNS comments. Obama is coming after the Haslams for not playing ball on Obamacare. Right.

What no bombers to find? Oh yeah, the FBI is asking the public for help on that one.

Funny when the whistleblowers come from ORNL, where's the FBI then?

Here's my guess: the IRS is investigating customers who got the rebates and didn't declare them as income - or lower the price they paid for fuel.

Not as interesting as monetizing commodities, whistleblowers, or political intrigue. And we couldn't wag our fingers at Pilot as it is not their job to file taxes for their customers. They would just be the repository of the information.

Anyway - time will tell.

More comments from the Cleveland peanut gallery.

Why is he holding press conferences in Tennessee? Shouldn't he be in Cleveland?

He couldn't get the IRS to do the audit in Cleveland.

does the irs get a tax break, too, for doing business in tennessee?

The raid was looking for Browns QB. Nothing found.

Greg Johnson piles on Obama revenge meme...

Presumably this actually appeared in print in a major metro newspaper?

An even bigger scandal than Solyndra, which of course was bigger than Watergate?

Right, an IRS/FBI raid and investigation of Pilot/FJ obviously points to an impeachable offense by Obama.

Seriously, this is one reason the raid would not be a political act. The ammo that it gives to the truthers and swiftboaters could not possibly be worth it. If Pilot/Haslam are political targets here, there would need to be serious law breaking and charges (I still can hardly imagine) required to offset the political boon this obviously is to the wingnut loonies like Johnson.

And somebody needs to remind Greg Johnson that Gibson was actually guilty of violating the Lacey Act:

In 2008, an employee of Gibson participated in a trip to Madagascar, sponsored by a non-profit organization. Participants on the trip, including the Gibson employee, were told that a law passed in 2006 in Madagascar banned the harvest of ebony and the export of any ebony products that were not in finished form. They were further told by trip organizers that instrument parts, such as fingerboard blanks, would be considered unfinished and therefore illegal to export under the 2006 law. Participants also visited the facility of the exporter in Madagascar, from which Gibson’s supplier sourced its Madagascar ebony, and were informed that the wood at the facility was under seizure at that time and could not be moved.

After the Gibson employee returned from Madagascar with this information, he conveyed the information to superiors and others at Gibson. The information received by the Gibson employee during the June 2008 trip, and sent to company management by the employee and others following the June 2008 trip, was not further investigated or acted upon prior to Gibson continuing to place orders with its supplier. Gibson received four shipments of Madagascar ebony fingerboard blanks from its supplier between October 2008 and September 2009.

How does he think lawbreakers like Gibson should be treated? I know incidents like the Gibson raid pushes all the truthers' buttons, and that one in particular holds special status because Gibson Guitars occupies a special, hallowed corporate spot among yazoos like Greg Johnson because it represents their notion of perfect American culture, along with shitty beer and Harley Davidsons. But in violating such laws, Gibson screwed not only federal and international environmental laws and ebony wood sustainability. They screwed all the other guitar companies, including cultural icons similar to Gibson like Fender and Martin. They also screwed the violin family industry, including the luthiers of violins, cellos and double basses. I have heard the supply of perfectly black and tight grain, flawless ebony is gone forever. Thanks, assholes at Gibson. And have fun with your little political Easter eggs, Greg Johnson.

I remember that Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz became a big Tea Party supporter and icon (martyr?) during the last election season. He had been tight with Rainforest Alliance, which issued a major CYA statement for him after the Gibson raid that went way beyond the RA programs he had been involved with. I'll never give to that organization again.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say 24 current and former Internal Revenue Service employees have been charged with stealing government benefits.

From Cleveland; (link...)