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

[FlingWingFlyer]

Scandals, scandals everywhere! This is the most crooked and corrupt regime ever to rise to power in this country. Heck, Barry makes King George III look like he was a nice, America-loving kind of guy.

[Toespi]

Of course they did. Obama has placed his thugs all throughout the government agencies. It came from the top and retribution is what makes this angry black man tick.

[Mouton]

Duh, of course they did. The key point, even if this was not politically driven, it was the usual government employee idea to keep their job at all costs. Any organization, like the tea party, is anathma to the desires of income tax auditors.

[mazda77]

Nothing else there. No story or details

[Rusty0604]

Yesterday it was “just some low level employee” but now it’s changing to an official per whistleblower. And AP is reporting!

[Menehune56]

No details at all but significant that it is being reported by AP. More shoes dropping?

[Diogenesis]

TRUST ONCE LOST IS NEVER EASILY REGAINED.

Obama-theUndocumentedTyrantbyFraud has ruined the
reputation of the IRS and DO”J” for the rest of my lifetime.

[God luvs America]

wait...i thought this was Bush’s fault???

[allendale]

Left wing soviet style political commissars are now present in every Federal agency including the CIA. They are directed and report directly to the White house. The IRS harassment of political groups was no “bureaucratic misjudgement”, nor was the altering of the “CIA talking points”. The Republicans must hold committee hearing on exactly who ordered and managed the Tea Party harassment.

[oldbrowser]

“Cunning grows in deceit at seeing itself discovered, and tries to deceive with truth itself.” ― Balthasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom

With fewer people willing to be deceived the administrations lies and deceptions are being exposed in record time.

The tide is turning.

[nascarnation]

The tide is turning.

I hope you're right, but look at Monicagate. Even with that Algore came within a whisker of winning in 2000, and the Clinton's are still America's favorite Democrats.

[onyx]

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[conservativehistorian]

The IRS intimidation story is receiving more MSM press attention that Benghazi, until this week. I hope that increased scrutiny of Obama’s malfeasance freezes his attempts to take us farther down the road of destruction.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Saturday news dump.

Nothing to see here.

[Political Junkie Too]

The fact that this happened during the election should not be lost. Just like with the Benghazi cover-up, Obama was doing everything he could to use the federal government to cripple Romney's ability to compete.

It's clear that the purpose for delaying the approval of the tax status for conservative groups was to prevent them from effectively participating for Romney.

Second to that was the desire to cause these groups to expend extra funds fighting the delays, as well as diverting their focus from supporting Romney to fighting the IRS.

-PJ

[SIDENET]

Yesterday it was “just some low level employee” but now it’s changing to an official per whistleblower. And AP is reporting!

Weekend news dump, nothing more.

[Rusty0604]

Please allow me the little bit of hope I have.

[advertising guy]

this needs to be added to the conversation...Mark Levin via Landmark Legal was told and told us yesterday members of congress were the IRS contact..

[I want the USA back]

The top man used the IRS for political motives. This deserves jail time.