Even when egregious misbehavior occurs among federal officials, the punishment often is light or nonexistent. So it will be with Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen.

Some members of Congress want to impeach Koskinen. Their effort will fail because Democrats on Capitol Hill will defeat it.

They will do so because of a circle-the-wagons mentality among both Republicans and Democrats in Washington during the past few decades. Virtually no sin will be punished if lawmakers of the sinner’s party can prevent it.

Koskinen is accused of lying to Congress and allowing destruction of IRS documents involved in an investigation of the agency’s practice a few years ago of harassing conservative groups.

In other words, he obstructed justice.

But he will almost certainly go scot-free. If Americans ever are to believe our government is accountable, the attitude allowing such miscarriage of justice needs to change.