Poor poor wingnuts.

[SandyinTex]

It's just outrageous the IRS targeted Tea Party groups. Well, it would be except that is a lie but you will not see the 'Liberal' media saying that. The fact is Progressive groups and other groups not just Conservative or Progressive were 'targeted'. As usual this Teapublican outrage is much ado about nothing.

All that happened here is that groups applying to the IRS for special tax status were checked to see if they were engaged in political activity. They were checked, not targeted. Only one-third of the groups checked were conservative groups.

Once again: Only one-third of the groups checked were conservative groups.

Conservative groups were not "singled out," were not "targeted" and in the end none were denied special tax status -- even though many obviously should have been.

From last week's House hearings on this:

Rep. Peter Roskam, R-IL: "How come only conservative groups got snagged?"

Outgoing acting IRS commissioner Steve Miller: "They didn't sir. Organizations of all walks and all persuasions were pulled in. That's shown by the fact that only 70 of the 300 organizations were tea party organizations, of the ones that were looked at by TIGTA [Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration]."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-...m_medium=onsite&utm_campaign=sailthru+slider+

 

[Dino]

It's a scandal, :nono:..no no..PF..:nono:. It goes deeper than you claim, and it's too late to put the lid back on this. Really.

The same IRS office that deliberately targeted [3] conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status in the run-up to the 2012 election released nine pending confidential applications of conservative groups to ProPublica late last year [4].

The IRS did not respond to requests Monday following up about that release, and whether it had determined how the applications were sent to ProPublica.

In response to a request for the applications for 67 different nonprofits last November, the Cincinnati office of the IRS sent ProPublica applications or documentation for 31 groups. Nine of those applications had not yet been approved—meaning they were not supposed to be made public. (We made six [4] of those [5] public, after redacting their financial information, deeming that they were newsworthy.)

On Friday, Lois Lerner, the head of the division on tax-exempt organizations, apologized [6] to Tea Party and other conservative groups because the IRS’ Cincinnati office had unfairly targeted them. Tea Party groups had complained [7] in early 2012 that they were being sent overly intrusive questionnaires in response to their applications

http://www.propublica.org/article/i...ed-tea-party-also-disclosed-confidential-docs

 

[SandyinTex]

What did I lie about, :nono:..no no..PF..:nono:.?

From your own article...I repeat, much ado about nothing other than the fact you just like screeching.

Update: Testifying before a House committee Friday, former acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller said that the disclosure of unapproved applications of conservative nonprofits to ProPublica last year, as well as the separate disclosure of confidential documents of the National Organization for Marriage, was “inadvertent.” Miller also mentioned that there had been discipline in one of the cases because procedures had not been followed.

We followed up on the issue, and the IRS sent this statement:

“When these two issues were previously raised concerning the potential unauthorized disclosures of 501(c)(4) application information, we immediately referred these cases to TIGTA [Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration] for a comprehensive review. In both instances, TIGTA found these instances to be inadvertent and unintentional disclosures by the employees involved.”

The IRS did not respond to questions on who had been disciplined and how. TIGTA did not respond to requests for comment.

 

[Dino]

Yup, someone committed a crime, to Obama's benefit, and violated numerous person's and group's civil rights... all by accident.

Yup, I'd run with that theory if I were you. So you over-simplified and lied by omission.

But you also lied here: "Well, it would be except that is a lie but you will not see the 'Liberal' media saying that."
Clearly right-wing groups WERE targeted, with greater scrutiny and in greater numbers for longer periods of time while lefty groups were given less scrutiny. So that's another lie.

 

[KnotaFrayed]

It's a scandal, and you are an ill-informed liar. It goes deeper than you claim, and it's too late to put the lid back on this. Really.

The same IRS office that deliberately targeted [3] conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status in the run-up to the 2012 election released nine pending confidential applications of conservative groups to ProPublica late last year [4].

The IRS did not respond to requests Monday following up about that release, and whether it had determined how the applications were sent to ProPublica.

In response to a request for the applications for 67 different nonprofits last November, the Cincinnati office of the IRS sent ProPublica applications or documentation for 31 groups. Nine of those applications had not yet been approved—meaning they were not supposed to be made public. (We made six [4] of those [5] public, after redacting their financial information, deeming that they were newsworthy.)

On Friday, Lois Lerner, the head of the division on tax-exempt organizations, apologized [6] to Tea Party and other conservative groups because the IRS’ Cincinnati office had unfairly targeted them. Tea Party groups had complained [7] in early 2012 that they were being sent overly intrusive questionnaires in response to their applications

http://www.propublica.org/article/i...ed-tea-party-also-disclosed-confidential-docs

The rest of the story, from your own linked to article.


"Before the 2012 election, ProPublica devoted months to showing how dozens of social-welfare nonprofits had misled the IRS about their political activity on their applications and tax returns. Social-welfare nonprofits are allowed to spend money to influence elections, as long as their primary purpose is improving social welfare. Unlike super PACs and regular political action committees, they do not have to identify their donors."

"In 2012, nonprofits that didn’t have to report their donors poured an unprecedented $322 million into the election. Much of that money — 84 percent — came from conservative groups."

"As part of its reporting, ProPublica regularly requested applications from the IRS’s Cincinnati office, which is responsible for reviewing applications from nonprofits."

"Social welfare nonprofits are not required to apply to the IRS to operate. Many politically active new conservative groups apply anyway. Getting IRS approval can help with donations and help insulate groups from further scrutiny. Many politically active new liberal nonprofits have not applied."

"Applications become public only after the IRS approves a group’s tax-exempt status."

"On Nov. 15, 2012, ProPublica requested the applications of 67 nonprofits, all of which had spent money on the 2012 elections. (Because no social welfare groups with Tea Party in their names spent money on the election, ProPublica did not at that point request their applications. We had requested the Tea Party applications earlier, after the groups first complained about being singled out by the IRS. In response, the IRS said it could find no record of the tax-exempt status of those groups — typically how it responds to requests for unapproved applications.)"

"Just 13 days after ProPublica sent in its request, the IRS responded with the documents on 31 social welfare groups."

"One of the applications the IRS released to ProPublica was from Crossroads GPS, the largest social-welfare nonprofit involved in the 2012 election. The group, started in part by GOP consultant Karl Rove, promised the IRS that any effort to influence elections would be “limited.” The group spent more than $70 million from anonymous donors in 2012."

"Applications were sent to ProPublica from five other social welfare groups that had told the IRS that they wouldn’t spend money to sway elections. The other groups ended up spending more than $5 million related to the election, mainly to support Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Much of that money was spent by the Arizona group Americans for Responsible Leadership. The remaining four groups that told the IRS they wouldn’t engage in political spending were Freedom Path, Rightchange.com II, America Is Not Stupid and A Better America Now."

"The IRS also sent ProPublica the applications of three small conservative groups that told the agency that they would spend some money on politics: Citizen Awareness Project, the YG Network and SecureAmericaNow.org. (No unapproved applications from liberal groups were sent to ProPublica.)"

"The IRS cover letter sent with the documents was from the Cincinnati office, and signed by Cindy Thomas, listed as the manager for Exempt Organizations Determinations, whom a biography for a Cincinnati Bar Association meeting in January says has worked for the IRS for 35 years. (Thomas often signed the cover letters of responses to ProPublica requests.) The cover letter listed an IRS employee named Sophia Brown as the person to contact for more information about the records. We tried to contact both Thomas and Brown today but were unable to reach them."

"After receiving the unapproved applications, ProPublica tried to determine why they had been sent. In emails, IRS spokespeople said ProPublica shouldn’t have received them."

“It has come to our attention that you are in receipt of application materials of organizations that have not been recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt,” wrote one spokeswoman, Michelle Eldridge. She cited a law saying that publishing unauthorized returns or return information was a felony punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 and imprisonment of up to five years, or both."

"In response, ProPublica’s then-general manager and now president, Richard Tofel, said, "ProPublica believes that the information we are publishing is not barred by the statute cited by the IRS, and it is clear to us that there is a strong First Amendment interest in its publication.”

"ProPublica also redacted parts of the application to omit financial information."

"Jonathan Collegio, a spokesman for Crossroads GPS, declined to comment today on whether he thought the IRS’s release of the group’s application could have been linked to recent news that the Cincinnati office was targeting conservative groups."

"Last December, Collegio wrote in an email: “As far as we know, the Crossroads application is still pending, in which case it seems that either you obtained whatever document you have illegally, or that it has been approved.”

"This year, the IRS appears to have changed the office that responds to requests for nonprofits’ applications. Previously, the IRS asked journalists to fax requests to a number with a 513 area code — which includes Cincinnati. ProPublica sent a request by fax on Feb. 5 to the Ohio area code. On March 13, that request was answered by David Fish, a director of Exempt Organizations Guidance, in Washington, D.C."

"In early April, a ProPublica reporter’s request to the Ohio fax number bounced back. An IRS spokesman said at the time the number had changed “recently.” The new fax number begins with 202, the area code for Washington, D.C."

"For more on the IRS and nonprofits active in politics, read our story on how the IRS's nonprofit division got so dysfunctional, Kim Barker's investigation, "How nonprofits spend millions on elections and call it public welfare", our Q&A on dark money, and our full coverage of the issue."

Update: "Testifying before a House committee Friday, former acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller said that the disclosure of unapproved applications of conservative nonprofits to ProPublica last year, as well as the separate disclosure of confidential documents of the National Organization for Marriage, was “inadvertent.” Miller also mentioned that there had been discipline in one of the cases because procedures had not been followed."

"We followed up on the issue, and the IRS sent this statement:"

“When these two issues were previously raised concerning the potential unauthorized disclosures of 501(c)(4) application information, we immediately referred these cases to TIGTA [Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration] for a comprehensive review. In both instances, TIGTA found these instances to be inadvertent and unintentional disclosures by the employees involved.”

"The IRS did not respond to questions on who had been disciplined and how. TIGTA did not respond to requests for comment."
http://www.propublica.org/article/i...ed-tea-party-also-disclosed-confidential-docs

By all means, let the "investigation" begin. Some people may be sorry for the can of worms (for them) their complaints opens up.

It only makes sense to get the director of the IRS to step down immediately, as was done. It does not indict him or anyone in any crime by doing so, but takes away further ammunition and presents a gesture of interest in sidelining those that could have been involved as more is investigated.

 

[JackDallas]

ALERT---Top Poster is :nono:..no no..PF..:nono:.---ALERT

 

[Dino]

Your opinions are fascinating, but do very little to change the facts of the case. I provided the link to provide the story (not the "rest" of it) to an obviously ill-informed liberal displaying willfull tunnel vision.

 

[zzigzzag]

I said from the outset that this particular "scandal" wasn't going to serve the wingers well. I predicted that the story would become about why they were scrutinized. It reminds me of Mitch calling the FBI on himself. It didn't occur to them that their "scandal" targets would defend and explain their actions and that their own behavior would end up in the spotlight. Bring it on.

 

[OldGaffer]

All this outrage because they cannot accuse President Obama of the crime they want to tar and feather him for: governing while black

 

[MaryAnne]

ALERT---Top Poster is Uninformed liar and bullshit artist---ALERT

Personal attack on poster has no merit at all!

I have known Sandy through the net for at least 10 years,and have found her both trustworthy and truthful!

 

[zzigzzag]

Jack calls posting a link that he and Dino won't read being "uninformed".

 

[MaryAnne]

All this outrage because they cannot accuse President Obama of the crime they want to tar and feather him for: governing while black

Jack calls posting a link that he and Dino won't read being "uninformed".

I love it when Knot always posts," The rest of the story!"

 

[lilly]

I love it when Knot always posts," The rest of the story!"

It's an absolute joy!

 

[GordonGecko]

What is the real lie? That rightwingers want "the truth" about the "scandals".

From Benghazi to the IRS....FACTS that contradict their Fox News version, they deny.

That is why they do, are, and will fail.

 

[GordonGecko]

Jack calls posting a link that he and Dino won't read being "uninformed".

Typical of both of them....nothing contradictory to what they believe is ever accepted. They could be told by Fox or Rush that the Sun is purple....you could walk them outside on a sunny day, point their heads to the sky, and say "What color is that bright sphere in the sky?"....and they'd say "I suppose you lying, low information lib'ruls think that's NOT purple, doncha?"

 

[JackDallas]

Personal attack on poster has no merit at all!

I have known Sandy through the net for at least 10 years,and have found her both trustworthy and truthful!

I've known her just as long and what she said in this top post is a lie.

 

[GordonGecko]

I've known her just as long and what she said in this top post is a lie.

Prove it, Archie.

 

[MaryAnne]

All this outrage because they cannot accuse President Obama of the crime they want to tar and feather him for: governing while black

I've known her just as long and what she said in this top post is a lie.

Funny thing,but I happen to like her and your rude post was more indicative of you than Sandy. Like most Wing nuts you have let your rage explode,and it is not a pretty sight.

Obama is there for 4 more years,thank The Lord,we will not have another Bush during that time.

 

[GordonGecko]

Funny thing,but I happen to like her and your rude post was more indicative of you than Sandy. Like most Wing nuts you have let your rage explode,and it is not a pretty sight.

Obama is there for 4 more years,thank The Lord,we will not have another Bush during that time.

You and OG have parts of their rage, MaryAnne.

The Mainstream Right now has a "history lesson" for future Americans, that works against their ideology. A 2 term Democrat who gave us peace and prosperity (Clinton)....and a 2 term Democrat who gave us recovery and extraction from war (Obama)......"book-ending" a 2 term conservative Republican who gave us a failed war, a POINTLESS war, and plunged us into a massive recession (Bush).

Generations to come will see that history...and it won't be kindly disposed to conservative Republicanism.


And for the Racist contingent?.....a 2 term black President means the end of "whites only" rule in this country. Their world is dead.

 

[lilly]

You and OG have parts of their rage, MaryAnne.

The Mainstream Right now has a "history lesson" for future Americans, that works against their ideology. A 2 term Democrat who gave us peace and prosperity (Clinton)....and a 2 term Democrat who gave us recovery and extraction from war (Obama)......"book-ending" a 2 term conservative Republican who gave us a failed war, a POINTLESS war, and plunged us into a massive recession (Bush).

Generations to come will see that history...and it won't be kindly disposed to conservative Republicanism.


And for the Racist contingent?.....a 2 term black President means the end of "whites only" rule in this country. Their world is dead.

Great Post! And I might add it's the last part in your post that really bothers them and greets me with delight. We are a country that wants equality and fought for it for years, where some feel superior is not my problem and only makes them look unsavory.