IRS has tax lawyers author rules

WASHINGTON, March 9 (UPI) -- The Internal Revenue Service in Washington has drawn criticism for employing the services of tax lawyers to help create new tax rules.

Critics say allowing private lawyers to assist with the creation of the new regulations could allow them to create rules that benefit their clients, The New York Times reported Friday.

"It's not the fox guarding the hen house; it's the fox designing the hen house," said Paul Light, a New York University professor of political science who is an expert on the federal work force.

John Graham, an official charged by U.S. President George Bush with giving private interests a greater voice in government rule making, told the Times he was surprised by the IRS program.

"Whoever's pen the first draft comes out of has a big advantage," Graham said.

However, IRS Chief Counsel Donald Korb said the IRS would not allow the program to be abused and IRS lawyers would review all new regulations before they went into effect, the Times said.