Darrell Issa releases his final report on the IRS targeting scandal

 Darrell Issa has released his final report on the IRS targeting scandal and it appears as if there was–not surprisingly–a bias held against conservative groups. Some IRS employees seemed to let their personal political beliefs cloud the decision making process.

  Here is more:

Conservative organizations were not just singled out because of their political beliefs—they were targeted by IRS officials and employees who expressed a general loathing toward them even while begrudgingly admitting that those organizations were in compliance with the only thing the IRS should care about: the federal tax code. Documents and interviews show IRS officials failed to limit their professional judgments to enforcing the tax code and instead inserted their own beliefs and judgments into federal matters to influence outcomes and decisions. One IRS agent wrote about an organization applying for 501(c)(4) status that donated to other organizations that engaged in political activity, “I’m not sure we can deny them because, technically, I don’t know that I can deny them simply for donating to another 501(c)(4).” Another agent responded, “This sounds like a bad org . . . This org gives me an icky feeling.”

    They admitted that these groups were in compliance with the law but at least one employee was given an “icky feeling” by at least one organization. And we are to believe this did not play a role in the decision to delay the requests as long as possible?

  So what gave this employee such an “icky feeling?” Apparently this did:

IRS employee on why he thought Tea Party organizations were different from other applicants (p.161):

“These [Tea Party] organizations mostly concentrate on their activities on the limiting government, limiting government role, or reducing government size, or paying less tax. I think it[‘]s different from the other social welfare organizations which are (c)(4).”

  How dare they be for limited government and less government intrusion! However this is the quote I find most damning:

“I think there may be a number of ways to deny them. Let me talk to Sharon [Light] tomorrow about it and get some ideas from her as well. . . .

  This quote seems to imply that the IRS was actively looking for ways to deny tax-exempt status to a group which they admitted was doing nothing wrong. Again, we are not to believe this employee was politically motivated?

  But there is not even a smidgen of corruption here…

  The question is; what is the new Congress going to do about this? If recent history is any indication they will do nothing because the establishment Republicans hold the Tea Party in as much contempt, if not more so, than the Democrats do.