Issa directed Treasury inspector general to ignore IRS treatment of liberal groups.

[elleng]

The bombshell IRS audit released in May omitted information about liberal groups at the request of House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA), according to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration’s office.

A spokesman for Treasury Inspector General J. Russell George told The Hill on Tuesday that Issa had requested investigators “narrowly focus on tea party organizations.”

The subsequent audit concluded the IRS used “inappropriate criteria” to single out for additional scrutiny tea party groups that applied for tax exempt status. The findings lead almost every politician, including President Barack Obama, to denounce the IRS. Several Republicans suggested the audit indicated the White House had a Nixonian “enemies list.”

Speaking to CNN on Tuesday, Issa said the IRS appeared to have been targeting Obama’s political opponents “perhaps not on his request” but “on his behalf.”

But new documents have revealed that liberal and progressive groups received similar treatment from the IRS. The “inappropriate criteria” used to single out tea party groups — so-called “Be On the Look Out” (BOLO) memos — also singled out progressive and “Occupy” groups.

The omitted information has caused Democrats to question whether the audit was truthful.

“Failing to make this clear in these documents and at Congressional Hearings even when asked directly has been fully misleading,” Rep. Sandy Levin (D-MI) wrote in a letter to George on Wednesday. “It has contributed to the distortion of this entire investigation, including use of innuendo and totally unsubstantiated assertions of White House involvement.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/26/issa-directed-treasury-inspector-general-to-ignore-irs-treatment-of-liberal-groups/

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. He started his life as a car thief

An ethics enquiry (guffaw my sides hurt) should come.

[elleng]

2. and still stealing.

What about his psyche caused him to covet the Oversight chairmanship???

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. He is...special

He will avoid regular media like the plague and only goes on tendentious shows.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. Issa....what a shocker!

I have been pointing this out since the first story that I read about this, and right in the article it stated that about 25% of the groups targeted were "tea party" or "patriot" or other conservative groups.....which means that 75% of the targets were NOT these groups. But no one wants to hear voices of reason. I hope this gets some traction.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. For us in San Diego it is what is new?

His district is so heavily gerrymandered that he could eat kittens for breakfast.

[Voice for Peace]

5. Jeez.. he's like one of those really dumb gangsters

they don't usually last long

[kentuck]

7. Isn't that illegal??

to try and frame someone for something they didn't do with the quid pro quo being simple political advantage and control of our government. However, in his case, he is trying to deceive the Congress of the United States, intentionally.

[aquart]

27. They won't mind.

I'd like to stick him in Alcatraz as a tourist attraction.

[elias7]

8. He should be censured for that

But I won't hold my breath

[erpowers]

9. Censure Him

Darrell Issa should be censured. Then he should be call before a Congressional committee and asked to explain his actions.

[elleng]

10. 'Censure' feels mild to me,

but as 2 DUers have suggested it, and its late, Friday night, I guess I'll yield.

[Daemonaquila]

13. At minimum.

Spread this far and wide. Before congress might grow a spine to act there has to be a deafening public outcry.

[Egnever]

11. What a shocker

Not surprised at all.

[msanthrope]

12. And how many DUers fell for this shit? nt

[elleng]

14. and EVERYONE,

in addition to DUers, even after O'Donnell explained that IRS has been misapplying the statute since '52, ignoring distinction between EXCLUSIVELY and PRIMARILY.

[silvershadow]

15. Issa directed Treasury inspector general to ignore IRS treatment of liberal groups.

Just repeating the headline for Google indexing. This needs to be shouted far and wide. He is nothing more than a wannabe, who will never be.

[elleng]

16. Thanks. Unfortunately

he 'be,' as he managed to finagle himself into that position. I recall hearing, when he was first appointed Chair, that this crap would go on, and on, and on, and here it is.

[silvershadow]

17. Someone as shady as he surely has skeletons ready to come spilling out at some point. In today's

environment, I can't imagine they won't, I just hope it is sooner rather than later.

[elleng]

18. They SHOULD, but who will unwrap them,

and then, who will care enough to do anything about it???

[Scuba]

19. Joe McCarthy 2.0.

[hobbit709]

20. Truthful and Issa are mutually exclusive.

[spanone]

21. he must have directed the media too...

[ck4829]

22. Issa just made a perceived attack on the Tea Party now an actual attack on liberals. K&R.

[kelliekat44]

23. Issa should be jailed or at least sued by the IRS officials whose reputations have been ruined by

his witch hunt to besmirch Obama administration.

[TheKentuckian]

24. The entire practice stinks no matter who is targeted. Fair evaluation of each application

just shouldn't be an unreasonable expectation. I know in reality it is, there are just too few to do the work but the process will be tainted and at serious risk of abuse otherwise.

I stand by my original concerns on this matter, I don't think they are "debunked" in the least, in fact this further demonstrates them. Bad practices, themselves open to further exploitation that negate the entire purpose of the process.

The best solution still seems to be elimination of the class, personnel and budgets just can't effectively process and police the hair splitting, misdirection, and subjective aspects here.

[indepat]

25. I'm surprised that a Congressman (legislative branch) has the authority to dictate to the

Treasury Department's (executive branch) Inspector General how an official investigation is to be skewed to make Democrats look bad: to wit, for the exclusive benefit of Republicans. This smells to high heaven: besides that, it stinks with the rankest of odors.

[Buns_of_Fire]

30. I would guess that a "request" from a committee chairman

(even one as obviously slimy as Issa) tends to be translated to an "or else" by those who have house and car payments to meet every month.

[indepat]

31. Sadly, this explains how the system can become so perverted

[burnodo]

26. Still waiting for Obama to apologized for being so easily manipulated

he should condemn and attack Issa, but something tells me that will never happen

[Thinkingabout]

28. Having been capative to having FAUX news going(just visiting), they are still not reporting liberal

groups was also targeted. If their listeners does not hear the truth then they will continue to say how the IRS is still targeting tea party groups. Lies Issa wants to continue until the elections in 3013 (not a type).

[burnodo]

29. IRS in conjunction with ACORN!

those fiends!