AP Exclusive: Watchdog report says senior IRS officials knew tea party groups targeted in 2011

Associated Press ^ | 05/11/2013 (Updated: Saturday, May 11, 3:38 PM) | AP/Washington Post

[Rusty0604]

WASHINGTON — Senior Internal Revenue Service officials knew agents were targeting tea party groups as early as 2011, according to a draft of an inspector general’s report obtained by The Associated Press that seemingly contradicts public statements by the IRS commissioner.

The IRS apologized Friday for what it acknowledged was “inappropriate” targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status. The agency blamed low-level employees, saying no high-level officials were aware.

But on June 29, 2011, Lois G. Lerner, who heads the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt organizations, learned at a meeting that groups were being targeted, according to the watchdog’s report. At the meeting, she was told that groups with “Tea Party,” ‘’Patriot” or “9/12 Project” in their names were being flagged for additional and often burdensome scrutiny, the report says.

The 9-12 Project is a group started by conservative TV personality Glenn Beck.

Lerner instructed agents to change the criteria for flagging groups “immediately,” the report says.

The Treasury Department’s inspector general for tax administration is expected to release the results of a nearly yearlong investigation in the coming week. The AP obtained part of the draft report, which has been shared with congressional aides.

Excerpt, read more at Washington Post/AP

[ObligedFriend]

Investigate IRS attorney Mitzi Torri targeting “birthers” using pseudonyms GeorgetownJD and Butterfly Bilderberg.

[Shady]

I think that they realize they are toast if this continues,,,,they finally realize they are being used,,,

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Well, golly...maybe the Lamestream media is seeing that fox is making the ratings ( and $$) and that the bloggers are beating them in viewership too!!

I don’t care about the media’s motives...not at all. I just want them to get on board for whatever reason.

[lonevoice]

Not even a little bit.

[HogsBreath]

Has somebody at the AP lost their mind? How can they be reporting honestly on Obummer?

[Carl Vehse]

The IRS officials (including those high-level officials who actually are) responsible for targeting legal and patriotic American organizations gave aid and comfort to the enemy. These IRS officials should be tried, convicted, and sentenced for treasons.

The sentences on these traitors should be executed in public.

[Shady]

Gestapo...

[Rusty0604]

I saw a report that people on MSNBC were even saying what the IRS did was not cool. What’s up with that?

[oldbrowser]

Great photo.

[meyer]

If the AP is on it, then it has to favor Obambi somehow. Maybe just to try to chase Benghazi off the radar.

[Atlantan]

Scroll down for video of former IRS Com. Douglas Shulman at a Mar. 22, 2012 hearing saying no groups are being targeted by the IRS.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/ways-and-means-irs-provide-all-communications-containing-words-tea-party-patriot-or

[Rusty0604]

He was the Bush appointee! Now it all makes sense, they’re reporting on it to prove it WAS Bush’s fault.

[Clint N. Suhks]

the criteria for flagging suspect groups was changed to, “political action type organizations involved in limiting/expanding Government, educating on the Constitution and Bill of Rights, social economic reform/movement,” the report says.

Enough to make the Stasi proud.

[AdSimp]

How about, this IRS scandal was kept on the shelf until they needed a distraction from Benghazi.

There are more scandals, if we are not sufficiently distracted, they’ll pull down another one. Plenty of expendable people in DC. Even though it is a VERY small town in important ways.

[Democrat_media]

This and the other of Obama’s abuses of power will get ZERO coverage on the TV network news or certainly not enough to hurt Obama the tyrannical donkey

[JimSEA]

Homeland security is targeting “right wing” groups as well. Expect to hear about opposing illegal groups advocating the violent overthrow of the United States. Funny, in the 50s it was the Communist Party, today it may well be us.

[lodi90]

Battle is joined. Everybody hates the IRS and they are deep in kenyancare.

From Drudge:

Ways and Means to IRS: ‘Provide All Communications Containing Words ‘Tea Party,’ ‘Patriot,’ or ‘Conservative’—By Wednesday

[tsowellfan]

Scandals, scandals everywhere! This is the most crooked and corrupt regime ever to rise to power in this country.

But, but, but at least Obama's been honest and victimized by his eligibility amidst those "kooky" suspicious "Birthers" such as Alan Keyes and Sheriff Joe who claim that just because Obama shares a SSN with an elderly person from the 1970s and has produced multiple versions of his birth certificate (all of which) kooky investigators conclude were forged. Give the man a break. At least he's been honest about that one thing, a needle in a haystack of honesty but still he deserves credit.

[tsowellfan]

It’s a slap in the face to all those who fought and/or died to protect our freedom.

[RedMDer]

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