IRS APOLOGIZES FOR TARGETING CONSERVATIVE GROUPS

[Wilikon]

"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. She did not say when they found out."

Always those damn low level workers... Of course, no names.

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


UPDATE: (May 18, 2013)

The woman whose question prompted a top Internal Revenue Service official to admit the agency was inappropriately targeting conservative groups says she was contacted prior to the event that elicited the admission and was directed to ask the question.
Celia Roady, a prominent tax lawyer in the firm of Morgan Lewis, said she was called personally by Lois Lerner, the IRS head of the tax exempt division, on May 9.

"I received a call from Lois Lerner, who told me that she wanted to address an issue after her prepared remarks at the [American Bar Association] Tax Section's Exempt Organizations Committee Meeting, and asked if I would pose a question to her after her remarks," Roady said in a statement to U.S. News and World Report. "I agreed to do so, and she then gave me the question that I asked at the meeting the next day. We had no discussion thereafter on the topic of the question, nor had we spoken about any of this before I received her call. She did not tell me, and I did not know, how she would answer the question."

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/05/17/exclusive-woman-who-asked-irss-lois-lerner-scandal-breaking-question-details-plant

UPDATE: (May 21, 2013)

Top IRS official will invoke the Fifth Amendment in congressional hearing about tea party targeting program

The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday afternoon that Lois Lerner, who heads up the Internal Revenue Service's tax-exempt division, plans to invoke the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in a hearing Wednesday before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Affairs.
The Fifth Amendment provides that U.S. citizens may not be compelled to offer testimony if telling the truth would incriminate them.
Lerner's defense lawyer, William W. Taylor III, wrote to the committee on Tuesday that his client would refuse to answer questions related to what she knew about the extra levels of scrutiny appled to conservative nonprofit organizations that applied for tax-exempt status beginning in 2010.
She also will decline to say why she didn’t disclose what she knew to Congress, according to the LA Times.
Lerner 'has not committed any crime or made any misrepresentation,' Taylor's letter read, 'but under the circumstances she has no choice but to take this course.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2328696/Top-IRS-official-invoke-Fifth-Amendment-congressional-hearing-tea-party-targeting-program.html

[Lethn]

including details of their postings on social networking websites and about family members.

Now why the fuck would you need details about other people in order to file taxes or not pay them at all? I'm glad I don't live in the U.S.

[Wilikon]

Of course back then the NYT found nothing wrong about this. Not doubt they will update that page anytime now.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/opinion/the-irs-does-its-job.html?_r=0

[RoadToHell]

Lerner said the practice was initiated by low-level workers in Cincinnati and was not motivated by political bias.
...
In some cases, groups were asked for their list of donors, which violates IRS policy in most cases, she said.
...
The forms, which the groups made available at the time, sought information about group members' political activities, including details of their postings on social networking websites and about family members

WTF? How is this NOT politically motivated?

And what was the disposition of the donor lists? Were they forwarded to anyone?

[Wilikon]

Welcome to the new normal.

https://twitter.com/BrettLoGiurato/status/332909283421323264

Nothing will happen to them.

https://twitter.com/AaronBlakeWP/status/332903200204128256

[dotcom]

Welcome to the new normal.

^ this

[Wilikon]

I found this link with at least part of the questions asked to the targeted groups. Some of them pretty much impossible to comply (or remember).

http://hotair.com/archives/2013/05/10/10-crazy-things-the-irs-asked-tea-party-groups/

Of course, this was not politically motivated and only a low level employee did this. OK maybe 200 were involved but that was it.

"...& absolute power corrupts absolutely."

[Spendulus]

I found this link with at least part of the questions asked to the targeted groups. Some of them pretty much impossible to comply (or remember).

http://hotair.com/archives/2013/05/10/10-crazy-things-the-irs-asked-tea-party-groups/

Of course, this was not politically motivated and only a low level employee did this. OK maybe 200 were involved but that was it.

"...& absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Let's assume the higher ups were complicit.  I believe part of that has already came out, and more will, of course.

There's some reason they choose to break this story now.  I wonder what it is. 

Back to the moral and ethical issues.  Apologies don't work, jail time does.

[Wilikon]

Six times the IRS has been accused of punishing President Obama's political opponents.

http://freebeacon.com/obamas-irs/

The thing with politicians is, when they use an illegal tool against their opponents they will be facing the other side of that evil hammer when they become opponents themselves. They legitimate it.

[Spendulus]

Six times the IRS has been accused of punishing President Obama's political opponents.

http://freebeacon.com/obamas-irs/

The thing with politicians is, when they use an illegal tool against their opponents they will be facing the other side of that evil hammer when they become opponents themselves. They legitimate it.

Not true, if the media is aligned with a politician, and is silent about those illegal tools, or protests only long after their use, and then weakly, but then if an opponent arises, screams at the least and silliest of transgressions.

[Wilikon]

Six times the IRS has been accused of punishing President Obama's political opponents.

http://freebeacon.com/obamas-irs/

The thing with politicians is, when they use an illegal tool against their opponents they will be facing the other side of that evil hammer when they become opponents themselves. They legitimate it.

Not true, if the media is aligned with a politician, and is silent about those illegal tools, or protests only long after their use, and then weakly, but then if an opponent arises, screams at the least and silliest of transgressions.

To illustrate your point. The reaction of the WaPo, the "Tool" that once helped make a US president resign. Will they just report the facts and move on or are they going to be the pit bull they used to be and never let go of this story? Do not hold your breath.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/05/12/irs-targeted-groups-that-criticized-the-government-ig-report-says/

[Wilikon]

The key word here is he learned about that IRS news scandal at the same time as everyone else. The WH was totally insulated in a bubble were everything around bounces back from that force field (maybe developed by The SAIC Force Protection Suite?)

Everything else is what a US president was supposed to say, of course.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xprS6RjLZEw

[Rassah]

I have ny sympathy for religious nutcases, even if they call themselves Tea Party.

Though I'm wondering, why are getting tax exempt? Can we get tax exempt status too please?

Also, it would probably be in Democrats' best interests to help the Tea Party as much as possible. They divide republican voters quite well, allowing Democrats to win more seats. Hell, some Democratic politicians actually admitted to funding local Tea Party candidates, just because they are so loony that beating them in elections is easier. So I doubt this is an order that came from above.

[Spendulus]

I have ny sympathy for religious nutcases, even if they call themselves Tea Party.

Though I'm wondering, why are getting tax exempt? Can we get tax exempt status too please?

Also, it would probably be in Democrats' best interests to help the Tea Party as much as possible. They divide republican voters quite well, allowing Democrats to win more seats. Hell, some Democratic politicians actually admitted to funding local Tea Party candidates, just because they are so loony that beating them in elections is easier. So I doubt this is an order that came from above.

Ah...

You might want to dig into it a bit further.  This is roughly equivalent to say, Bush having the founders of MoveOn.org, Thinkprogress, and TPM audited by the IRS, and forcing them to disclose their donor lists, right before an election.

Wait....you wouldn't have stood for that from Bush?  No kidding?

http://c0391070.cdn2.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/pdf/irs-questions-aclj-tea-party-clients.pdf

[Rassah]

I have ny sympathy for religious nutcases, even if they call themselves Tea Party.

Though I'm wondering, why are getting tax exempt? Can we get tax exempt status too please?

Also, it would probably be in Democrats' best interests to help the Tea Party as much as possible. They divide republican voters quite well, allowing Democrats to win more seats. Hell, some Democratic politicians actually admitted to funding local Tea Party candidates, just because they are so loony that beating them in elections is easier. So I doubt this is an order that came from above.

Ah...

You might want to dig into it a bit further.  This is roughly equivalent to say, Bush having the founders of MoveOn.org, Thinkprogress, and TPM audited by the IRS, and forcing them to disclose their donor lists, right before an election.

Wait....you wouldn't have stood for that from Bush?  No kidding?

http://c0391070.cdn2.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/pdf/irs-questions-aclj-tea-party-clients.pdf

No, I'm upset about them having tax exempt status. I want one too 

[Lethn]

You do have tax exempt status! Just don't tell anyone you have Bitcoins

[Spendulus]

I have ny sympathy for religious nutcases, even if they call themselves Tea Party.

Though I'm wondering, why are getting tax exempt? Can we get tax exempt status too please?

Also, it would probably be in Democrats' best interests to help the Tea Party as much as possible. They divide republican voters quite well, allowing Democrats to win more seats. Hell, some Democratic politicians actually admitted to funding local Tea Party candidates, just because they are so loony that beating them in elections is easier. So I doubt this is an order that came from above.

Ah...

You might want to dig into it a bit further.  This is roughly equivalent to say, Bush having the founders of MoveOn.org, Thinkprogress, and TPM audited by the IRS, and forcing them to disclose their donor lists, right before an election.

Wait....you wouldn't have stood for that from Bush?  No kidding?

http://c0391070.cdn2.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/pdf/irs-questions-aclj-tea-party-clients.pdf

No, I'm upset about them having tax exempt status. I want one too  

Why?  Why support in any sense political operatives making it virtually impossible for their opponents to get tax exempt status for their organizations?

If I understand correctly many of these groups are STILL WAITING for their applications to be approved or rejected.

Alan P. Dye, a nonprofit attorney with the Washington, D.C. firm of Webster, Chamberlain & Bean, told MailOnline that he represents six tea party groups that have been waiting for periods of up to 30 months for the IRS to issue rulings.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2323978/Revealed-The-55-questions-IRS-asked-tea-party-group-years-waiting--including-demands-names-donors-volunteers.html#ixzz2TGf1lhOI
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

[Rassah]

Got some more info on this today. It's apparently for their 501c (?) SuperPac status. Basically those groups we've all been hearing about that allow unlimited anonymous political donations, using a tax group organization that was set up as "service the social welfare." They get away with it by claiming that their "concern" ads that attack opposing politicians are just to "increase awareness of an issue that may adversely affect general welfare." It's basically bullshit that needs to stop, and need to stop on both sides. Yes, it's unfair that it was done more to the right-wing nuts than to left-wing nuts. And yeah, I'm kinda conflicted about it, since with Bitcoin you'd be able to do unlimited political donations and advertising, anyway.

Though I do have some schadenfreude about a fascist theocratic party getting shafted.

[Wilikon]

Got some more info on this today. It's apparently for their 501c (?) SuperPac status. Basically those groups we've all been hearing about that allow unlimited anonymous political donations, using a tax group organization that was set up as "service the social welfare." They get away with it by claiming that their "concern" ads that attack opposing politicians are just to "increase awareness of an issue that may adversely affect general welfare." It's basically bullshit that needs to stop, and need to stop on both sides. Yes, it's unfair that it was done more to the right-wing nuts than to left-wing nuts. And yeah, I'm kinda conflicted about it, since with Bitcoin you'd be able to do unlimited political donations and advertising, anyway.

Though I do have some schadenfreude about a fascist theocratic party getting shafted.

The thing is, when the machine is up and running when and to what point do you stop it? As long as it targets the people you oppose it is all fun and game maybe. Remember the Patriot Act? that was evil back then. Now since 110% of it is still running (10% above now, thanks to the AP phone taps scandal) not so much.

More examples beyond the Tea Party people?

IRS tells pro-life ministry to promote abortion:
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/05/irs-tells-pro-life-ministry-to-promote-abortion/#jAufHjDGJgoEqYuh.99

IRS targeted news anchor after Obama interview:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2013/05/kmov-anchor-the-irs-is-targeting-me-163945.html

[Spendulus]

Got some more info on this today. It's apparently for their 501c (?) SuperPac status. Basically those groups we've all been hearing about that allow unlimited anonymous political donations, using a tax group organization that was set up as "service the social welfare." They get away with it by claiming that their "concern" ads that attack opposing politicians are just to "increase awareness of an issue that may adversely affect general welfare." It's basically bullshit that needs to stop, and need to stop on both sides. Yes, it's unfair that it was done more to the right-wing nuts than to left-wing nuts. And yeah, I'm kinda conflicted about it, since with Bitcoin you'd be able to do unlimited political donations and advertising, anyway.

Though I do have some schadenfreude about a fascist theocratic party getting shafted.

Well, you have it about half right.  To get it completely right, take off the ideological filters for a second.  You don't need to discuss the character of the groups that were targeted.  

Slander them some other time and place.  No, nobody cares if you think it was fair or unfair.  

What is at issue is whether IRS personnel face jail time.

Got it now?

Jail.

Conversely, there's a term for those who might NOT think the IRS behavior was problematic.

Fascist.

LOL....but I use the term properly.