No sign liberals targeted by IRS, US tax investigator, Russell George inspector general for tax administration, June 27, 2013, Associated Press letter
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From Florida Today June 27, 2013.
“US tax investigator: No sign liberals targeted by IRS”
“A government inspector who detailed the U.S. federal tax agency’s tough treatment of conservative groups says he has no evidence that liberal groups were similarly targeted, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday.
Russell George, the inspector general for tax administration, addressed the letter to a top Democratic lawmaker who has complained that George unfairly focused on tea party and other conservative groups in a report released last month, while omitting mention of liberals.
George’s report became a major scandal for the Obama administration and led to the removal of at least five top officials at the Internal Revenue Service, including former acting Commissioner Steven Miller. It revealed that the IRS targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny when they applied for tax-exempt status.
Democrats seem determined to shift the focus to this week’s disclosure that “Progressive” was also on a list of terms used by IRS screeners from 2010 to 2012 to look for applicants with potential problems that would merit close scrutiny.
In a letter obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, George acknowledged that “Progressives” appeared on the list. But he said there was no evidence the IRS set aside progressive groups’ applications for tax-exempt status because they appeared on that list.
George said his investigators have “multiple sources of information corroborating,” including interviews with IRS employees, emails and other documents, that tea party groups’ applications were set aside for close examinations.”
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