A New Enemies List

◼ ‘The IRS: First they Came for the Tea Partiers, Then They Came for the Jews’ - Ed Driscoll/PJM

“Well whaddataknow,” ◼ Iowahawk tweets today. “Turns out ‘low level IRS employees in Cincinnati’ ◼ was IRS Chief Counsel in 2011.” (Another ◼ Iowahawk tweet today was the basis for our headline above.)

IRS Probe Expands To Groups Opposed To Gov't, Teaching Constitution, despite public denials from the top.



◼ IRS Probe Expands To Groups Opposed To Gov't, Teaching Constitution - Washington Post ◼ Via Drudge

At various points over the past two years, Internal Revenue Service officials targeted nonprofit groups that criticized the government and sought to educate Americans about the U.S. Constitution, according to documents in an audit conducted by the agency’s inspector general.

The documents, obtained by The Washington Post from a congressional aide with knowledge of the findings, show that on June 29, 2011, IRS staffers held a briefing with senior agency official Lois G. Lerner in which they described giving special attention to instances where “statements in the case file criticize how the country is being run.” Lerner, who oversees tax-exempt groups for the agency, raised objections and the agency revised its criteria a week later.

But six months later, the IRS applied a new political test to groups that applied for tax-exempt status as “social welfare” groups, the document says. On Jan. 15, 2012 the agency decided to target “political action type organizations involved in limiting/expanding Government, educating on the Constitution and Bill of Rights, social economic reform movement.,” according to the appendix in the IG report, which was requested by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and has yet to be released.

The new revelations are likely to intensify criticism of the IRS, which has been under fire since agency officials acknowledged they had deliberately targeted groups with “tea party” or “patriot” in their name for heightened scrutiny.

◼ Scrutiny Was Deeper Than Thought - WASLL ST. JOURNAL

Wider Problems Found at IRS: Probe Says Tax Agency Used Sweeping Criteria to Scrutinize Conservative Groups...

The Internal Revenue Service's scrutiny of conservative groups went beyond those with "tea party" or "patriot" in their names—as the agency admitted Friday—to also include ones worried about government spending, debt or taxes, and even ones that lobbied to "make America a better place to live," according to new details of a government probe.

◼ UPDATE: IRS also targeted tax-exempt status of Jewish groups - Kevin Williamson/NRO
◼ 'Absolutely chilling' - FOX

“The conclusion that the IRS came to is that they did have agents who were engaged in intimidation of political groups,” Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers told “Fox News Sunday.” “I don't care if you're a conservative, a liberal, a Democrat or a Republican, this should send a chill up your spine. It needs to have a full investigation.”

◼ Ways and Means to IRS: ‘Provide All Communications Containing Words ‘Tea Party,’ ‘Patriot,’ or ‘Conservative’—By Wednesday - Terence P. Jeffrey/CNS
◼ Revelations 'will fuel government distrust' - CNN's Kevin Liptak
◼ WHY OBAMA RELEASED EMBARRASSING IRS BOMBSHELL - Bob Unruh/WND

Americans...should be wondering whether Obamacare, which is to be enforced by the IRS, will target conservative voices opposed to President Obama with delays or denials of medical care.

But why would an administration ever confess to such a flagrant misuse of politics and power?

(Michelle) Bachmann, who chairs the House Tea Party caucus, said it’s the Benghazi scandal.

“There’s no doubt this was not a coincidence that they dumped this story today, a Friday dump day,” Bachmann told WND. “This is when they put their negative stories out.”

But she said the looming storm cloud called Benghazi is the “soft underbelly” of the Obama administration and likely will keep Hillary Clinton from fulfilling her dream of occupying the Oval Office.

That would make it logical to release an IRS story that, while embarrassing, also could be cubbyholed as another “conservative” dispute with the White House.

DRUDGE HEADLINES:
NEW 'ENEMIES LIST'...
IRS Began Targeting Conservatives in March 2010...
Revealed: The 55-questions IRS sent tea party group -- demands for donor lists, names of all volunteers...
BOOK: IRS retaliates against outspoken business leaders...
Tea Party groups threaten to sue...
Probe Expands To Groups Opposed To Gov't, Teaching Constitution...
Scrutiny Deeper Than Thought...
McConnell: 'Just The Beginning'...
Agency accused of leaking confidential tax documents during election...
Scandal politics sweep Capitol Hill...

Previously: ◼ SHOCK: IRS ADMITS TO TARGETING CONSERVATIVE GROUPS DURING 2012 ELECTION, APOLOGIZES - HRWF
◼ OBAMA'S SIGNATURE MOVE: UNSEALING PRIVATE RECORDS