Liberal groups got IRS scrutiny, too, inspector general suggests

[DonViejo]

Correction: An earlier version of the story misstated the period covered by the inspector general's review. The new TIGTA report examines cases between 2004 and 2013. The previous report examined cases between 2010 and 2012.

By Mike DeBonis October 4 at 7:45 PM
A federal watchdog has identified scores of cases in which the Internal Revenue Service may have targeted liberal-leaning groups for extra scrutiny based on their names or political leanings, a finding that could undermine claims that conservatives were unfairly targeted under President Barack Obama.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) reviewed cases between 2004 and 2013, which includes the period TIGTA previously examined in a 2013 report that faulted the IRS for using inappropriate political criteria to select groups for heightened scrutiny.

That earlier report found that 96 groups with names referencing “Tea Party,” “Patriot” or “9/12” were selected for intensive review between May 2010 and May 2012, and the House Ways and Means Committee later identified another 152 right-leaning groups that were subjected to scrutiny. Those findings fueled accusations by Republican lawmakers that the Obama administration engaged in politically motivated targeting of conservatives.

But Democrats have long challenged those claims, arguing that liberal-leaning groups were given close scrutiny alongside the conservative groups. The 2013 TIGTA report, they argued, was based on selective criteria that omitted numerous nonconservative groups that were also subjected to close IRS review.

more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/liberal-groups-got-irs-scrutiny-too-inspector-general-finds/2017/10/04/e9b6e3c4-a929-11e7-850e-2bdd1236be5d_story.html

[underpants]

1. We already knew this

270 groups were ID'ed using the BOLO words. Roughly a third conservative/teabaggers, a third left/ progressive, and a third one issue or focused groups. The media has bought into the RW media repetition and expansion of the numbers.

The only group that lost tax exempt status was a Progressive group in Maine who recruited and trained women to run for office. About half of the right/teabagger groups didn't complete their applications but got a pass because of the RW propaganda.

[yallerdawg]

2. Facts will not impact conservative propaganda.

It doesn't matter what source - Russia, 400 pound hackers lying in bed in their mother's basement, Breitbart, Infowars, Fox News, Congressional Republicans, or Dotard Trump's tweets and moving mouth - they are all selling what they think Trump supporters want to hear.

Our only hope is that there are more of us than there are of them, and some of these people get tired of consuming bullshit.

[Gothmog]

3. This so-called scandal was always bogus