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Outrage grows at IRS 'targeting' of conservative groups FBI to investigate IRS 'targeting' of conservative groups
(about 1 hour later)
The outrage over reports the US tax collection authority singled out conservative groups for extra scrutiny has continued to build. The FBI is investigating reports the US tax collection agency targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny ahead of the 2012 election, the US attorney general has said.
Three Congressional panels are planning hearings into actions by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Eric Holder said the FBI would determine whether Internal Revenue Service staff broke criminal laws.
The agency's commissioner on Tuesday acknowledged "mistakes" before the 2012 election but denied political bias. Three Congressional panels are also planning hearings into the matter.
A senior Republican Congressman said the agency had gone after President Barack Obama's "political enemies". The agency's commissioner has acknowledged "mistakes" but denied political bias.
"This was a targeting of the president's political enemies, effectively, and lies about it during the election year so that it wasn't discovered until afterwards," Darrell Issa, chairman of the House oversight committee, said on Tuesday on CBS television. Allegations that staff at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) subjected conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status to undue scrutiny have roiled Washington DC since Friday.
Also on Tuesday, two high-profile Republican governors called for Mr Obama to fire any IRS employees responsible for the actions and to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate whether any laws were broken. "This was a targeting of the president's political enemies, effectively, and lies about it during the election year so that it wasn't discovered until afterwards," senior Republican Congressman Darrell Issa said on Tuesday on CBS television.
Also on Tuesday, two high-profile Republican governors called for President Barack Obama to fire any IRS employees responsible for the actions and to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate whether any laws were broken.
"This is big brother come to life and a witch hunt to prevent Americans from exercising their first amendment [free speech] rights," Governors Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Scott Walker of Wisconsin wrote."This is big brother come to life and a witch hunt to prevent Americans from exercising their first amendment [free speech] rights," Governors Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Scott Walker of Wisconsin wrote.
Mr Obama's spokesman Jay Carney said the White House was awaiting the expected released this week of a treasury department inspector general's report before taking any action. Awaiting report
Attorney General Eric Holder told news media the reports were "certainly outrageous and unacceptable" and the justice department was investigating violations of criminal law.
At the White House, spokesman Jay Carney said the Obama administration was awaiting the expected release this week of a treasury department inspector general's report before taking any action.
Mr Carney said the White House was notified of the forthcoming report in late April but did not know the details of the findings.Mr Carney said the White House was notified of the forthcoming report in late April but did not know the details of the findings.
He said he could categorically rule out that anyone in the White House or on the Obama political team had knowledge of the targeting or was involved in it.He said he could categorically rule out that anyone in the White House or on the Obama political team had knowledge of the targeting or was involved in it.
For his part, Mr Obama on Monday denounced the actions, calling them "outrageous" and saying US taxpayers had to have confidence the tax agency worked in a non-partisan fashion. For his part, Mr Obama on Monday denounced the reported actions, calling them "outrageous" and saying US taxpayers had to have confidence the tax agency worked in a non-partisan fashion.
Jump in applications
The number of groups filing with the IRS for tax-exempt status shot up between 2010-12, after a Supreme Court decision loosened restrictions on campaign spending by groups not formally affiliated with candidates' campaigns.The number of groups filing with the IRS for tax-exempt status shot up between 2010-12, after a Supreme Court decision loosened restrictions on campaign spending by groups not formally affiliated with candidates' campaigns.
Ahead of the 2012 presidential election, conservative groups complained to the IRS and to members of Congress that their applications for tax-exempt status were being held up and had received undue scrutiny. Ahead of the 2012 presidential election, conservative groups complained to the IRS and to members of Congress that their applications for tax-exempt status were being held up and had received inappropriate scrutiny.
Some groups have said they were asked to provide lists of donors and volunteers, statements of their activities, and lists of legislators they had contacted.Some groups have said they were asked to provide lists of donors and volunteers, statements of their activities, and lists of legislators they had contacted.
While the head of the IRS tax-exempt division has said the "absolutely inappropriate" actions were limited to the agency's branch office in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday additional queries to conservative groups came from the Washington office and at least two other branch offices.While the head of the IRS tax-exempt division has said the "absolutely inappropriate" actions were limited to the agency's branch office in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday additional queries to conservative groups came from the Washington office and at least two other branch offices.
In an opinion piece in USA Today published on Tuesday, IRS Commissioner Steven Miller acknowledged the agency had made mistakes but insisted "they were in no way due to any political or partisan motivation".In an opinion piece in USA Today published on Tuesday, IRS Commissioner Steven Miller acknowledged the agency had made mistakes but insisted "they were in no way due to any political or partisan motivation".
He wrote the agency had made mistakes in its process for handling the influx of applications, including "a shortcut taken in our processes to determine which groups needed additional review".He wrote the agency had made mistakes in its process for handling the influx of applications, including "a shortcut taken in our processes to determine which groups needed additional review".
The House Ways and Means committee will hold a hearing on Friday, in which Mr Miller is expected to testify. The Senate finance and investigations committees have said they will hold hearings after reading the inspector general's report.The House Ways and Means committee will hold a hearing on Friday, in which Mr Miller is expected to testify. The Senate finance and investigations committees have said they will hold hearings after reading the inspector general's report.