The IRS “improperly ” obtained donor lists for a secret “research” project

  Back in May of 2013 Lois Lerner apologized for “inappropriately” targeting some conservative groups before the 2012 election. The fact that she had to apologize for this “inappropriate” act is something which the apologists like to forget about. While they claim there is not even a smidgen of corruption within the IRS they conveniently forget Lois Lerner admitted to wrongdoing.

  But if this story is true it appears as if targeting conservative groups is not the only “inappropriate” behavior the IRS is guilty of, for new emails show the IRS also “improperly” obtained donor lists of some organisations for a secret “research” project.

  Here is more:

IRS official David Fish revealed the “secret research project” in a June 27, 2012 email to Lerner’s direct subordinate Holly Paz, according to emails released Thursday by the nonprofit group Judicial Watch, which obtained the emails in a pending Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

“Joseph Urban [IRS Technical Advisor, Tax Exempt and Government Entities] had actually started a secret research project on whether we could, consistent with 6104, argue that [REDACTED],” Fish wrote.

  The emails apparently reveal that when Joseph Urban learned what was going on within the IRS that he was quite upset about it, but not because of what the IRS was doing, but rather with the fact he was not kept in the loop.

“Joe was quite agitated yesterday when I told him what we were doing. (He was involved when the initial question was raised, but we didn’t continue reading him in),” Fish continued. “At one point he started saying that this was a decision for Steve Miller–I told him we were already doing it, and that I didn’t know whether Lois had already talked to Nikole [Flax, former IRS Chief of Staff to IRS Commissioner Steve Miller] about this. Would not be surprised if he already started working on Lois.”

“Thanks for the heads up,” Paz replied. “The decision was made by Steve, based on advice from P and A. [Procedure and Administration].”

    Another email suggests that the information gained in this secret project was not used to determine tax exempt status but I have a hard time believing that. Why else would the IRS be interested in this data? The IRS was simultaneously targeting conservative groups and collecting the donor lists of some organizations and we are supposed to believe the two are not connected?

  Repeat after me: there. is. not. even. a. smidgen. of. corruption. here.