IRS Colluded WIth FEC Against Conservative Organizations

◼ No wonder Lois Lerner has taken the Fifth. - Carol Platt Liebau/Townhall

In an exclusive obtained by Eliana Johnson, we are now learning that at least twice, Lois Lerner colluded with a lawyer from the Federal Elections Commission to try to influence the record before the FEC.

In the case of the American Future Fund, Lerner provided confidential information about the aspiring 501(c)(4)'s status -- in violation of the law -- thereby helping the FEC attorney with an (improper) investigation designed to convince the FEC commissioners to authorize the prosecution of the American Future Fund for violations of campaign finance law (namely, engaging in political activism without registering as a PAC). All this came in the wake of a complaint filed against the American Future Fund by the Minnesota Democratic Farm Labor Party. (Ultimately, the FEC elected not to pursue the case.)

The FEC attorney also sought confidential tax information about the American Issues Project, another conservative organization.

It's ironic, of course, that Lerner handed out confidential tax information about conservative groups -- given that the IRS has made a great show, in the targeting investigation, of its commitment to preserving the privacy of taxpayers.

◼ E-mails Suggest Collusion Between FEC, IRS to Target Conservative Groups - Eliana Johnson/National Review Online