In the report, the investigators do not find evidence that IRS employees received orders from politicians to target the tea party, and agency officials deny overt bias or political motives.
But, a bit later:
The Republican oversight report traces the growing pressure on the IRS to act, beginning with Mr. Obama’s criticism of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision in his 2010 State of the Union address to calls from top members of Congress for the IRS to give special scrutiny to tea party applications.
Emails among IRS officials, and committee interviews with them, show agency employees were aware of the pressure, sending one another news reports and commenting — in sometimes derisive language — about the tea party applications.
Oh, but their choice to single out the Tea Party applications "wasn't political".
These people should be fired and indicted for official oppression, but the Republicans are going to let them whitewash this all away.
I think I'm going to be sick.
The Republicans were at least as happy and possibly more so to see the tea party movement weakened. They were challenging the status quo in the Republican caucus and forcing go-along politicians to face primary challengers. The mainstream Republicans would be happy to consider this case closed.
Even today there are articles suggesting that delay of tea party applications and persecution of tea party advocates remain ongoing.
The Republicans were at least as happy and possibly more so to see the tea party movement weakened. They were challenging the status quo in the Republican caucus and forcing go-along politicians to face primary challengers. The mainstream Republicans would be happy to consider this case closed.
Even today there are articles suggesting that delay of tea party applications and persecution of tea party advocates remain ongoing.