American Tax Officer

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David did not lose his composure at those words, but instead responded with a puzzled face, "Senator Phipps, when have we ever used this tax law to suppress dissent, or acted as if we were above everyone else? Haven't we always wielded the power granted to us by this legislation for the original intent of tax collection only?"

"As far as I'm aware, when you were in Nevada State, you managed to send quite a few officials to jail with this law, didn't you?"

"Those officials were corrupt, and not only were they corrupt, but even after I warned them to pay their taxes to contribute their bit to the nation, they still had the audacity to resist. Faced with such stubborn individuals, I used the power given by the Black Tax Law to send them to jail, is there anything wrong with that? Or do you suggest we indulge them and let them continue their corruption?"

David's unruffled and legitimate response instantly triggered a wave of cheers from online supporters of justice, and of course, it also quietly earned praise from people within the Washington D.C. Headquarters and the national tax system.

"You're right, those who are corrupt should indeed be punished, but there's a measure to everything, and you're using life sentences of thousands of years as an extreme punishment, which absolutely exceeds the judicial standards of sentencing. And it's not as if you've used it just once; you've done it several times.

I'm saying you're contemptuous of our nation's human rights and justice, that shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"No, I and our tax bureau have not disrespected human rights and justice. After all, the Black Tax Law is a newly issued law, and the sentencing of such tax evaders is also unprecedented in history. Since we've initially set the precedent of a thousand-year imprisonment, that alone should suffice as a separate sentencing standard.

Without earning merits by confessing and making reparations, applying this standard is what's fair to other offenders, isn't it?"

Michelle's team had been dispatched by the Headquarters precisely because they anticipated most of the sharp questions Senator Phipps would raise at the debate.

And as for the current question, they had already researched various ways to respond, so David's current response could also be considered well caught.

After all, as he just explained, the Black Tax Law was newly issued, and the large-scale arrests and sentencing of illegal tax evaders were also a first. Without any other significant cases to reference, their verdicts of thousands or even tens of thousands of years were legally defensible.

"Wait a minute..."

Phipps's finger hovered over his temple in deep thought, his face reflecting intense contemplation, before finally speaking, "The Black Tax Law has just been issued, and it's true there are no previous sentencing standards, but that doesn't provide the theoretical basis for inflicting extreme punishments.

As I've said, you must follow the sentencing standards of the Department of Justice, and you should sentence the criminals according to the Department of Justice's measure of punishment; otherwise, it's definitely a case of overstepping your authority!"

"The Department of Justice is the Department of Justice, and their sentencing standards may not necessarily apply to every department, every case..."

"Hold on just a moment!"

Before David could finish, Phipps sharply interrupted him, lifting the corners of his mouth, "Are you saying that the Department of Justice's sentencing standards aren't authoritative enough?"

"I didn't say that..."

Director David, you don't need to explain, you just need to answer me yes or no!"

Phipps was domineering as he stared down David, and with the atmosphere highly strained and being repeatedly interrupted, David, not being as slick as Phipps, naturally showed a hint of discontent.

"This is interesting, Director David seems to be struggling a bit, doesn't he!"

"That's normal, after all, Director David is still too young, his experience too shallow. In this kind of situation, if he could still handle Senator Phipps's offensive, there'd be no need to bother with tax collection—he might have a wider horizon if he took a step into the political arena."

"It's evident, from the changes in Director David's demeanor, that he seems to be growing impatient with this line of questioning."

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The hint of dissatisfaction was immediately captured by the facial experts invited by the television station, who began to explain it to the audience in front of their TV screens.

In the Washington D.C. Headquarters, Obadiah and the other senior executives' expressions turned serious; from Phipps's words, they had already sniffed a dangerous signal.

But they were not the ones at the live broadcast site; they could only hope that David would be cautious in his response.

Amidst everyone's thoughts at the live broadcasting site, David managed to relax his expression a bit before retorting, "Senator Phipps, this is a debate, and I think everyone should maintain an equal way of speaking. Your 'just answer yes or no' phrasing makes it seem like you are interrogating a criminal to those who don't know any better!"

Seeing that David adjusted so quickly and had a clear line of thought in his retort, Phipps silently commended him with a 'good lad' before his expression softened a bit and he said, "Alright, then, Director David, please answer my previous question!"

"I certainly don't mean that the Department of Justice's sentences lack authority, but in the area of tax law, our Tax Authority is, after all, a specialized field. Imposing our own penalties for tax evasion based on our professional strengths is also unquestionable."

"For example, if a construction site has a safety accident, although the responsible parties will be pursued by the law, the construction site will also have its own internal accountability. You can't accuse the enterprise's internal pursuit of responsibility as disrespecting the law, right?"

There was logic and evidence in David's response.

"I find your analogy inappropriate. If a construction site has a safety accident, it will indeed face legal accountability, but first and foremost, the law is definitely more significant than the company's own internal disciplinary punishments. If your own internal discipline is more severe than national laws, isn't that creating laws of your own?

If every company, every person did this, what would we need laws for?"

"Senator Phipps, I think you've twisted my words a bit. I mean, of course, the Department of Justice and the national law must be respected, and our Tax Authority deals with those who violate our tax laws according to the circumstances. This is not disrespecting the Department of Justice or national law; don't conflate the two," David said.

"Alright, then let me ask you, what kind of political system does America have?"

"Separation of powers."

As David said these three words, in a studio nearby, the expressions of Michelle and others changed drastically. At the same time, some of the executives at the Washington D.C. Headquarters seemed to sense the upcoming danger, their hearts suddenly hanging in suspense.

Apart from them, at this moment, some shrewd viewers watching the live broadcast also realized that there might be some drama up ahead, holding their breath and widening their eyes.

"Then I'll ask you, which three powers?"

A small smile played on Phipps's lips, and his gaze at David was like that of a fierce eagle soaring in the sky that had already locked onto its prey.

"As a Congressman, you should know better than anyone, shouldn't you?"

What David meant was, you're a Congressman, do I really need to answer this obvious question for you? Discover hidden stories at empire

"Alright, since you don't wish to say, I'll answer for you. America's government operates on a system of separation of powers, where the three powers are the legislative power, exercised by Congress, then the executive power, which is exercised by the President, and finally, the judicial power, exercised by the Supreme Court and its subordinate courts.

The Supreme Court is responsible for interpreting the Constitution and laws, adjudicating cases involving the federal government, as well as disputes between states, etc., while the lower courts, through their trial activities, ensure the rights of citizens and maintain social order..."

Listening to this, David's expression became serious, as he realized that the other party had laid a trap for him earlier. His mind raced, trying to find the proper words to respond with soon.