In new developments regarding the supposed IRS “scandal,” the story is looking more and more like IRS agents simply just doing their jobs rather than an organized targeting of conservative groups.
In a report from the New York Times, it’s revealed that other groups that received scrutiny were a Palestinian human rights groups, open source software developers, and an organization trying to help musicians make money online. This comes in addition to a Mother Jones story that showed the IRS also targeted groups with the words “progressive,” “occupy” and “Israel” in their name.
There is no doubt that some of the practices that the IRS applied to Tea Party groups was unfair and should be criticized, but the new revelations show that the Tea Party groups were not “singled out” as many conservatives have alleged. Many organizations, both left and right, endured unfair practices and long wait times as well.
According to the Times report, many Republicans are now coming around to this realization:
“We haven’t proved political motivation,” said Representative Charles Boustany Jr., a Louisiana Republican who, as the chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, is leading one inquiry.
Senator Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri, said that in retrospect, suggestions that Mr. Obama had orchestrated an IRS attack on his political enemies were unwarranted.
“Presidents have always been very careful about maintaining the appearance of keeping hands off the IRS,” he said. “I don’t have any reason to believe there wasn’t targeting of conservatives, but it might well have been a lot more than that as well.”
