Isn't that the same as King Henry II saying "will no one rid me of this turbulent priest" just before Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered?
Of course the IRS people thought they were doing what Obama wanted. They probably thought they would be rewarded for targeting conservatives and especially the Tea Party. Whether he directed the action himself or not isn't especially relevant - Obama made it very clear he did not view the Tea Party as a legitimate political group. And that's the way these IRS people treated them.
The IRS targeting stopped immediately following the election. IMO too well coordinated to not have originated with his campaign.