The Internal Revenue Service wrongly targeted conservative groups for additional scrutiny of their tax-exempt status, confirming what many tea party-linked organizations have alleged for over a year.
Lois Lerner, director of the Exempt Organizations Division, apologized for the practice at a conference in Washington, saying that it originated among low-level workers in Cincinnati.
Conservative groups have been arguing for over a year that they have been inappropriately targeted by the IRS. In February of 2012, 16 tea party-related organizations claimed that they were being harassed by the agency after receiving detailed questionnaires asking about their political views and activities. Twelve Republican senators sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Douglas H. Shulman calling on the tax agency to conducts its inquiries in an “even-handed and transparent manner.” Shulman told Congress that there was no targeting of anyone.
In a statement, the IRS said that career employees in Cincinnati were attempting to deal with a huge increase in the number of applications for section 501(c)(4) status double. ”While centralizing cases for consistency made sense, the way we initially centralized them did not,” the statement says. “Mistakes were made initially, but they were in no way due to any political or partisan rationale. We fixed the situation last year and have made significant progress in moving the centralized cases through our system.”
All applications “received the same, even-handed treatment, and the majority of cases centralized were not based on a specific name,” the statement adds.
According to the IRS, “new procedures were In addition, new procedures also were implemented last year to ensure that these mistakes won’t be made in the future.”
“We knew from the very start that this intimidation tactic was coordinated and focused directly on specific organizations,” said Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice, who is representing the tea party groups. “It took the threat of legal action to get the IRS to make this admission. And while many of the organizations we represent have finally been granted tax-exempt status, we demand the IRS to immediately approve the pending applications for the remainder of our clients.”
Tax-exempt social welfare nonprofit groups are allowed to engage in political activity with minimal disclosure, but only if the primary purpose of the group is deemed non-political. Watchdogs have asked the IRS to investigate such groups on both sides of the political spectrum, such as Crossroads GPS and Priorities USA.
Any reports on right-wing media like Washington Post must be LIES!!!!!!!!!!
CONSPIRICY (as opposed to the word with an A)
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
The IRS Investigated groups who preach not paying their taxes... Makes sense to me!
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
Reaction was swift and harsh after Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt groups, acknowledged the issue at a conference Friday sponsored by the American Bar Association.
She confirmed that organizations were singled out because they included the words "tea party" or "patriot" in their applications for tax-exempt status.
In some cases, groups were asked for their list of donors, she said.
"That was wrong. That was absolutely incorrect, it was insensitive and it was inappropriate," Lerner said. "The IRS would like to apologize for that."
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
The TeaBaggers Did Violate Their Tax Exempt Status
In a complaint filed this week with the Internal Revenue Service, lawyers for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee charged that the group, the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, has been running advertisements in Kansas, Missouri and Michigan that are inherently “political in nature,” contravening a ban under federal tax law. A copy of the complaint was provided to The New York Times. Aug 27, 2010.
Quoted Text
Nonprofit groups like the foundation, which falls under section 501(c)3 of the tax code, are forbidden from participating in “any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to a candidate.” They may, however, seek to educate voters or conduct broader get-out-the-vote drives “if conducted in a nonpartisan manner,” the I.R.S. says.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
This sounds like government conspiring against political speech, it can't be true. It's hog wash! The federal government doesn't conspire against its own people. Box told me that's a FACT!
bumble- cicero and the rest of the conspirist , just went on way way too long about obamas birth certificate to expect me to think you have anything relevant to say
bumble- cicero and the rest of the conspirist , just went on way way too long about Obamas birth certificate to expect me to think you have anything relevant to say
The Birth Certificate, Rev Wright, and Benghazi... If Obama could run for a third term, it would still be going on. The Benghazi Witch Hunt is in preparation for Hillary in 2016, along with WhiteWater and the Vince Foster hype. There is a group of gullible people who will buy any line that the Right is putting in front of them. The handlers create the smoke, then claim that there is fire.
"You CAN fool some of the people all of the time."
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
Believe me, the left is THRILLED with all this police power that they were protesting against during the 60's. Now in their hands they see it as a perfectly decent means to an end. However, unlike the Founders, they don't have the vision to see that it may end up being used against them. Kinda' like nuclear weaponry in that regard. They think they can go nuclear in one fell swoop and eradicate any and all political opposition, but it never occurs to them that the political landscape may change and they will be the ones swinging on the gallows.
Make no mistake about it, these are mind-numbed robots who never met federal power that they didn't love when it was in their own hands. Box and J.O. Boxer are the perfect example of this mindset.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
Make no mistake about it, these are mind-numbed robots who never met federal power that they didn't love when it was in their own hands. Box and J.O. Boxer are the perfect example of this mindset.
and you continue to be a perfect example of a classless imbecile clown leading a useless existence that likes to attack people that you don't know.
JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!! JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!
and you continue to be a perfect example of a classless imbecile clown leading a useless existence that likes to attack people that you don't know.
What I know about you is that you argue to make me less free. Anyone who wants to take my freedom away (while keeping his freedom) is a tyrant and a traitor to the Constitution.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
What I know about you is that you argue to make me less free. Anyone who wants to take my freedom away (while keeping his freedom) is a tyrant and a traitor to the Constitution.
Just exactly do I want to take away of yours?
JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!! JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!
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