PA Senators, Tea Party Groups Weigh in on IRS Target Scandal

By Melissa Daniels | PA Independent

HARRISBURG —

Both of Pennsylvanians U.S. senators said they want to see the IRS investigated for its targeted treatment of conservative political groups.

Their sentiments were released on Monday, several days after the IRS publicly stated it had targeted treatment of groups that had “tea party” or “patriot” in their names in applications for tax-exempt status.

Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said the issue should concern members of any political party, and that he’d like to see the matter as part of a congressional investigation.

“The IRS’s actions are akin to an enemies list and further contribute to the deep cynicism that many Americans have about the government,” Toomey’s statement said.

In a similar fashion, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., said he was “outraged” by the allegations, and those responsible for a breach of taxpayer trust should be held accountable.

“Pennsylvanians and Americans across the country deserve to know that the IRS and all government agencies do their jobs without prejudice or political agenda,” continued Casey’s statement.

On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced the FBI will investigate the situation to determine if the IRS broke any laws.

Also Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Inspector General released a 54-page audit of the IRS that concluded the agency used “inappropriate criteria” to single out organizations that would be referred to a special team to handle potential political cases.

“Criteria for selecting applications for the team of specialists should focus on the activities of the organizations and whether they fulfill the requirements of the law,” reads the IG report. “Using the names or policy positions of organizations is not an appropriate basis for identifying applications for review by the team of specialists.”

A story in the Harrisburg Patriot-News by Robert Vickers this week reported three Pennsylvania-based tea party groups who cite IRS intimidation as reasons they stopped attempts to seek tax-exempt status or abandoned plans to start up operations. From the article:

But the people in the Pennsylvania groups that claim they were targeted were not confident the president would ensure a proper investigation is conducted.

“I have as much confidence in the president of the United States [initiating a thorough investigation] as I do in the IRS treating people who are in political opposition to the president fairly,” said Jenifer Stefano, a Philadelphia area Tea Party activist.

Stefano said she tried to start her own group called The Loyal Opposition between 2010-2011. But when she applied for tax exempt status, the IRS responded with a litany of questions that put her off.

“I was pregnant and on a single income and they were asking me questions like, ‘Are you on Facebook,” she said incredulously. “They wanted my personal Facebook page.”

“A lawyer told me, ‘They’re going to come after you and if you make one mistake they could ruin your life’,” Stefano added. “I like to think of myself as very tough, but I’m ashamed to say I was intimidated and frightened, and I shut it down.”