IRS confesses to inappropriately targeting conservative groups.

[monovillage]

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/irs-apologizes-targeting-conservative-groups

The Internal Revenue Service inappropriately flagged conservative political groups for additional reviews during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status, a top IRS official said Friday.

Organizations were singled out because they included the words "tea party" or "patriot" in their applications for tax-exempt status, said Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt groups.

In some cases, groups were asked for their list of donors, which violates IRS policy in most cases, she said.

"That was wrong. That was absolutely incorrect, it was insensitive and it was inappropriate. That's not how we go about selecting cases for further review," Lerner said at a conference sponsored by the American Bar Association.

"The IRS would like to apologize for that," she added.
.................................
Many conservative groups complained during the election that they were being harassed by the IRS. They accused the agency of frustrating their attempts to become tax exempt by sending them lengthy, intrusive questionnaires.

We all knew that this was being done, that the IRS was targeting conservative groups for intense scrutiny. When this was mentioned we always got the Democrat/progressive reply that conservatives were just trying to play a "victim" card. Here's positive proof that the IRS did indeed target conservative groups.

 

[Genx87]

Lerner said the practice was initiated by low-level workers in Cincinnati and was not motivated by political bias

lol wat?

 

[Matt1970]

"The IRS would like to apologize for that," she added.

All is forgiven

/sarcasm

 

[Attic]

Standard. Will get worse.

 

[palehorse]

Heads should roll.

But, they won't...

 

[Incorruptible]

More stupidity by liberals who say we can trust these idiots. Bunch of pieces of shit.

 

[HomerJS]

More stupidity by liberals who say we can trust these idiots. Bunch of pieces of shit.

I believe pieces of shit in a bunch is known as a cluster of shit.

 

[Moonbeam]

Lerner said the practice was initiated by low-level workers in Cincinnati and was not motivated by political bias. After her talk, she told The AP that no high level IRS officials knew about the practice.

Agency officials found out about the practice last year and moved to correct it, the IRS said in a statement. The statement did not specify when officials found out.

About 75 groups were inappropriately targeted. None had their tax-exempt status revoked, Lerner said.

So in order to streamline the doubling of applications the IRS concentrated its efforts in a single location and developed standards to identify the kinds of applications that require extra scrutiny using words that would identify political activity including tea party etc. This is a very right wing practice of using stereotype, like being a Muslim to apply extra scrutiny when boarding an aircraft but. of course, they get upset when it gets applied to them, and all of it done by low level people but because this can be turned into another Benghazi, we will spend trillions investigating it, and all because conservatives have gone bat shit insane and can't win any elections.

But in the off chance that this should actually go higher and real proof, not paranoid delusions can prove it, the people responsible should be hung in public for treason. And anybody calling for action without proof should be beaten as a filthy pig. In either case, then, everybody will be happy.

 

[Jimzz]

More stupidity by liberals who say we can trust these idiots. Bunch of pieces of shit.

Yep Damm office being run by a liberal... I mean republican.

"IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman told Congress in March 2012 that the IRS was not targeting groups based on their political views.

Shulman was appointed by President George W. Bush. His 6-year term ended in November. President Barack Obama has yet to nominate a successor. The agency is now being run by acting Commissioner Steven Miller."

 

[Jaskalas]

So Bush did it? :awe:

 

[Jaepheth]

If group A is generally thought of as being rabidly anti-tax, and group B is stereotypically pro tax...

Which group will a tax collecting agency be more likely to take a closer look at?

 

[xBiffx]

If group A is generally thought of as being rabidly anti-tax, and group B is stereotypically pro tax...

Which group will a tax collecting agency be more likely to take a closer look at?

Same standard doesn't seem to apply when taking a closer look at turban wearing people getting on an airplane or brown people pulled over in AZ. No, that's profiling and its not allowed.

 

[piasabird]

What if they targeted Gay People or CEO'S?

 

[boomerang]

Does this mean that the IRS feels there is an appropriate way to target conservative groups? That they just did it wrong?

 

[WelshBloke]

If group A is generally thought of as being rabidly anti-tax and is applying for tax exempt status, and group B is stereotypically pro tax...

Which group will a tax collecting agency be more likely to take a closer look at?

Just added a relevant bit there.

 

[michal1980]

how is targeting political groups not political.?

 

[zinfamous]

If group A is generally thought of as being rabidly anti-tax, and group B is stereotypically pro tax...

Which group will a tax collecting agency be more likely to take a closer look at?

kinda what I was thinking, as well.

Same standard doesn't seem to apply when taking a closer look at turban wearing people getting on an airplane or brown people pulled over in AZ. No, that's profiling and its not allowed.

fair point, but in this case the targeted group isn't being scrutinized as a potential source of revenue.

 

[monovillage]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog...ess-vows-investigate-irs-conservative-audits/

Hopefully we'll see some indictments handed down.

 

[Moonbeam]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog...ess-vows-investigate-irs-conservative-audits/

Hopefully we'll see some indictments handed down.

Leave it to that puss sack Issa to target Obama for the mistakes of a few low level tax auditors. Shows how low level he is.

 

[monovillage]

Leave it to that puss sack Issa to target Obama for the mistakes of a few low level tax auditors. Shows how low level he is.

It was begun by low level staffers, it was continued by higher level administrators. Are you in favor of using the Internal Revenue Service as a weapon against any administrations enemies?

 

[palehorse]

My own level of outrage will rise in direct correlation to the levels of IRS management who were aware of the targeting. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Fair enough?

 

[brycejones]

I believe pieces of shit in a bunch is known as a cluster of shit.

I thought a bunch of shit was a shit storm?

 

[Moonbeam]

It was begun by low level staffers, it was continued by higher level administrators. Are you in favor of using the Internal Revenue Service as a weapon against any administrations enemies?

See palehorse for my answer. You don't put the cart before the horse. You know me. Any liberal defiling liberal ideas should be shot at dawn for treason.

 

[sportage]

IRS confesses to inappropriately targeting conservative groups.

Well. Finally a good news day. Da is a God.

 

[soundforbjt]

Maybe it's because "Corps are People" and it's now harder to trace the money & organization. We know which group fought for it... Wouldn't those be the best targets?