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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Tue May 14 21:11:20 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by bingbong on Tue May 14 21:00:59 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
His friends exempted THEMSELVES from any of that. The air traffic controller thing was particularly special when they suddenly realized it would affect THEM too.

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(1067334)

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IRS officials *not* fully cooperating with investigators (was: apologizes)

Posted by Olog-hai on Thu May 23 04:47:16 2013, in response to IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 10 13:53:11 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Bye-bye hard-left narrative that this was a "GOP-manufactured scandal".

McClatchy DC

IRS officials aren’t cooperating in probes at top or bottom

By Kevin G. Hall and David Lightman | McClatchy Washington Bureau
Posted on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
WASHINGTON — Internal Revenue Service officials are not fully cooperating with efforts to learn who is responsible for targeting conservative groups, lawmakers learned Wednesday during the third and most tense, dramatic hearing on the scandal.

First, the director of the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt organizations at the heart of the scandal invoked her constitutional Fifth Amendment right and refused to answer questions during an appearance before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Then, a Treasury Department inspector general told the committee that IRS employees in the Cincinnati office that handled applications for tax-exempt designations were not being fully cooperative in the investigation. He said the IRS employees have stymied efforts to learn who developed the controversial questions asked of conservative groups.

The inability to find out more about who authorized the special scrutiny of conservative groups frustrated lawmakers striving to find out more even as the IRS launches its own 30-day inquiry and the Justice Department is starting a criminal investigation. At the same time Wednesday, the White House press secretary acknowledged that there have been “legitimate” criticisms about the way he has explained what the administration knew about the scandal.

The most dramatic moment of the day came when Lois Lerner, a career government lawyer and longtime IRS official, appeared before the House committee.

“I have not done anything wrong,” Lerner said in an opening statement. “I have not broken any law. I have not violated any IRS rules and regulations, and I have not provided false information to this or any other congressional committee.”

She then informed the committee she was invoking her right to not answer questions.

“One of the basic functions of the Fifth Amendment is to protect innocent individuals,” Lerner said, repeating her innocence amid allegations from lawmakers that she misled Congress.

“You don’t get to tell your side of the story and then not answer questions,” insisted Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., furious and arguing to Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., that Lerner effectively waived her rights by first issuing a statement.

Issa eventually excused Lerner and she left by a side door.

Later, J. Russell George, Treasury’s inspector general for the Office of Tax Administration, told the panel that he has not been able to find out everything he wants from IRS employees.

"We have had some difficulty in terms of getting clarity from some of the employees we’ve interviewed," he said, adding that further inquiries could make those employees more forthcoming.

Before going silent Wednesday, Lerner gave her work history, noting that she had worked at the Justice Department and the Federal Election Commission before joining the IRS. She joined the tax-exempt division in 2001 and was promoted to head the division in 2006, overseeing roughly 1.6 million tax-exempt organizations with a staff of 900 employees and a budget of almost $100 million.

She’s a key figure in the scandal because George’s audit found that she apparently had knowledge of IRS employees flagging conservative groups for special scrutiny when they applied for tax-exempt status as social welfare groups. The audit said she instructed the Cincinnati office to back off the inappropriate code words used to flag applications from conservative groups.

Under questioning, George confirmed Wednesday that there were apparently other lists of groups to watch for, but he cautioned he could say no more about an ongoing and broadening investigation. George said he couldn’t rule out whether conservative taxpayers also might have been targeted for tax audits or other forms of scrutiny.

“The American people today should not have confidence that this is an isolated incident,” Issa said.

George also said that it was unusual when Lerner pre-emptively revealed the coming inspector general report during a scripted appearance before a group on May 10. George said he knew of no prior case where the IRS released information ahead of an audit. “It was a first during my tenure,” he told lawmakers, adding that a clearance process for releasing information about the audit was underway. “That clearance had not been completed by then.”

Lawmakers were especially tough on Doug Shulman, a Bush administration appointee who stepped down as IRS commissioner in November. Republicans found that Shulman visited the Obama White House 118 times in 2010 and 2011.

Shulman said he was “absolutely sure” he had no conversations at the White House about IRS targeting. He said he was there for a variety of reasons, including discussions about tax administration, the new IRS administrative role under the Affordable Care Act, and even the Easter Egg Roll with his children.

“You started targeting the very groups that came into existence because they opposed what you were talking about in the White House, 118 different visits there," Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, charged, offering no proof other than the timeline. "You started targeting them the very month that the Affordable Care Act became law."

“I operated as a nonpartisan, nonpolitical person trying to implement the laws that were on the books,” Shulman said. “It would have been inappropriate, and nobody ever asked me.”

At the White House, Press Secretary Jay Carney acknowledged the criticism of what has been an evolving story about who in the White House knew about the investigation of the IRS and when they knew it.

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(1067335)

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Re: IRS officials *not* fully cooperating with investigators (was: apologizes)

Posted by B68 slow poke on Thu May 23 05:16:44 2013, in response to IRS officials *not* fully cooperating with investigators (was: apologizes), posted by Olog-hai on Thu May 23 04:47:16 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
This has legs !

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(1067336)

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Re: IRS officials *not* fully cooperating with investigators (was: apologizes)

Posted by Olog-hai on Thu May 23 05:19:01 2013, in response to Re: IRS officials *not* fully cooperating with investigators (was: apologizes), posted by B68 slow poke on Thu May 23 05:16:44 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Yes, and regenerating legs too.

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(1067343)

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Re: IRS officials *not* fully cooperating with investigators (was: apologizes)

Posted by RIPTA42HopeTunnel on Thu May 23 05:51:23 2013, in response to IRS officials *not* fully cooperating with investigators (was: apologizes), posted by Olog-hai on Thu May 23 04:47:16 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Under questioning, George confirmed Wednesday that there were apparently other lists of groups to watch for...he couldn’t rule out whether conservative taxpayers also might have been targeted for tax audits or other forms of scrutiny.

"Conservative taxpayers" have nothing to do with tax exempt status. I see the article neglects to mention that "other lists" may include liberal organizations applying for tax exempt status.

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(1067346)

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Re: IRS officials *not* fully cooperating with investigators (was: apologizes)

Posted by LuchAAA on Thu May 23 05:58:39 2013, in response to Re: IRS officials *not* fully cooperating with investigators (was: apologizes), posted by RIPTA42HopeTunnel on Thu May 23 05:51:23 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
I see the article neglects to mention that "other lists" may include liberal organizations applying for tax exempt status.

so why aren't they coming forward with their complaints?

I'm sure some liberal groups did hit a roadblock, but it's obvious that Christian conservative groups were the target.

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(1067350)

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Re: IRS officials *not* fully cooperating with investigators (was: apologizes)

Posted by Olog-hai on Thu May 23 06:10:14 2013, in response to Re: IRS officials *not* fully cooperating with investigators (was: apologizes), posted by LuchAAA on Thu May 23 05:58:39 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
pwnt.

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(1067354)

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Re: IRS officials *not* fully cooperating with investigators (was: apologizes)

Posted by ClearAspect on Thu May 23 06:33:49 2013, in response to Re: IRS officials *not* fully cooperating with investigators (was: apologizes), posted by Olog-hai on Thu May 23 06:10:14 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
You seem to be ignoring other threads olog are you nervous?

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Re: IRS officials *not* fully cooperating with investigators (was: apologizes)

Posted by RIPTA42HopeTunnel on Thu May 23 10:17:50 2013, in response to Re: IRS officials *not* fully cooperating with investigators (was: apologizes), posted by LuchAAA on Thu May 23 05:58:39 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
so why aren't they coming forward with their complaints?

They are. They;re not getting as much press because Congress is making the issue about "conservative" groups.

I'm sure some liberal groups did hit a roadblock, but it's obvious that Christian conservative groups were the target.

Do you know how many groups were actually denied tax exempt status as a result of the targeting?

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(1069995)

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IRS agents sure like to dance . . .

Posted by Olog-hai on Sat Jun 1 04:20:36 2013, in response to IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 10 13:53:11 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Associated Press

Newly released IRS video shows employees dancing

By Alan Fram
May 31, 2013 8:26 PM EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the latest black eye for the Internal Revenue Service, the agency provided Congress on Friday with another video featuring its employees, this one showing about a dozen of them line dancing on a stage.

The video of the IRS workers practicing their dance moves, which lasts just under three minutes, comes weeks after it was revealed that agency workers produced two other videos parodying the "Star Trek" and "Gilligan's Island" TV shows.

The latest recording cost about $1,600 and was produced to be shown at the end of a 2010 training and leadership conference held in Anaheim, Calif., said IRS spokeswoman Michelle Eldridge. At a time when most government agencies are coping with across-the-board spending cuts by furloughing workers and finding other savings, that conference has become the target of a report a Treasury inspector general plans to release next week.

The report, called "Collected and Wasted: The IRS Spending Culture and Conference Abuses," will be the subject of a hearing Thursday by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, that panel said Friday.

The IRS is also under fire by lawmakers and the Obama administration for targeting conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status for tough scrutiny between 2010 and 2012. That screening, revealed May 10, has led President Barack Obama to replace the agency's acting chief, and two other top officials have also stepped aside.

All three videos were provided in response to a request by a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La.

"The outrage toward the IRS is only growing stronger," said Boustany, who chairs the Ways and Means oversight subcommittee. "Clearly this is an agency where abuse and waste is the norm and not the exception."

In a written statement, the IRS said the video was "unacceptable and an inappropriate use of government funds." It said the agency has new policies in place "to ensure that taxpayer funds are being used appropriately."

Eldridge said the dance video was recorded at IRS offices in New Carrollton, Md., outside Washington, D.C.

In the video, various workers comment as colleagues practice their dancing in the background to music that sounds like "Cupid Shuffle," a 2007 hit by the performer Cupid. In the version obtained by The Associated Press, IRS employees' names have been erased.

At one point, one woman says, "And I thought doing the 'Star Trek' video was humiliating."

That "Star Trek" video was produced for the same 2010 conference. The agency called the "Star Trek" video, which lasted six minutes and featured employees dressed as characters from the popular show, a mistake.

The "Star Trek" and "Gilligan's Island" videos cost about $60,000 combined to make, the IRS said in March.

The "Gilligan's Island" parody was used at the beginning of a 12-hour video the IRS used in 2011 to train its workers on various tax issues, Eldridge said. The entire video was used to train 1,900 workers who assist taxpayers over the phone and in offices around the country, she said.

In a separate statement, Danny Werfel, the IRS' new acting commissioner, called the 2010 conference "an unfortunate vestige from a prior era."

He added, "While there were legitimate reasons for holding the meeting, many of the expenses associated with it were inappropriate and should not have occurred."

Werfel said the IRS has since instituted spending restrictions that include scaling back travel and training expenses by more than 80 percent since 2010.

"Taxpayers should take comfort that a conference like this would not take place today," Werfel said.

In a statement, the Treasury Department — of which the IRS is part — said it puts "the highest priority on protecting taxpayer dollars." It said it would work with Werfel as he reviews his agency's operations and tries to "restore public confidence in the IRS."

The 2010 conference was attended by 2,600 IRS workers from 350 offices around the country that handle tax returns for small businesses and self-employed individuals, Eldridge said.

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(1069998)

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Re: IRS agents sure like to dance . . .

Posted by B68 slow poke on Sat Jun 1 04:28:23 2013, in response to IRS agents sure like to dance . . ., posted by Olog-hai on Sat Jun 1 04:20:36 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
In the transit authority every first week in APRIL 3,000 plus transit workers go down to chapel street to get another W-2 form because they can not locate the original. This whole IRS system needs to take a dive for some better system !

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(1069999)

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Re: IRS agents sure like to dance . . .

Posted by Olog-hai on Sat Jun 1 04:29:50 2013, in response to Re: IRS agents sure like to dance . . ., posted by B68 slow poke on Sat Jun 1 04:28:23 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Hear hear.

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(1070001)

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Re: IRS agents sure like to dance . . .

Posted by LuchAAA on Sat Jun 1 04:32:02 2013, in response to IRS agents sure like to dance . . ., posted by Olog-hai on Sat Jun 1 04:20:36 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Interesting what the AP is all-of-a-sudden willing to consider news.

Very interesting.

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(1070004)

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Re: IRS agents sure like to dance . . .

Posted by Olog-hai on Sat Jun 1 04:36:11 2013, in response to Re: IRS agents sure like to dance . . ., posted by LuchAAA on Sat Jun 1 04:32:02 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
That was one colossal bridge the Obama administration burned with the AP. Don't think the FHWA can build a replacement too quickly . . .

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(1070023)

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Re: IRS agents sure like to dance . . .

Posted by orange blossom special on Sat Jun 1 08:26:42 2013, in response to IRS agents sure like to dance . . ., posted by Olog-hai on Sat Jun 1 04:20:36 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
A 12 hour video? OMG put the noose up there.

"workers who assist taxpayers over the phone and in offices around the country, she said."

Finally I see where they work, a hockey call center with the usual childish videos. In that case, it's really like the private sector.

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Even NYDN attacks (IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups)

Posted by Olog-hai on Sun Jun 2 17:10:08 2013, in response to IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 10 13:53:11 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
It's not fizzling.

IRS misconduct prompted by tainted White House 'culture', Republicans say

GOP leaders took to the airwaves to spread their message that the Obama administration and its ‘paid liar’ Jay Carney have created a culture of labeling Tea Party activists and conservatives as terrorists, thus leading to the IRS scrutiny

By Sasha Goldstein
Sunday, June 2, 2013, 4:02 PM
President Obama's administration, fronted by a "paid liar" of a spokesman, has created an anti-conservative atmosphere that led to IRS scrutiny of right-leaning organizations, top Republicans said Sunday.

"The culture of the president calling Tea Party groups terrorists and tea-baggers, and that entire culture has been cultivated by the president and his people, and everyone has been following," Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus said on "Fox News Sunday."

Such a culture, Priebus continued, is proof-positive that the Internal Revenue Service's probe into conservative groups applying for nonprofit status came not from some rogue employees, but rather as a Washington directive.

The White House has labeled the department's Cincinnati office as responsible for the extra scrutiny right-leaning organizations received.

"That's why it doesn't make any sense," Priebus said. "That's why we need to keep digging, because the idea that two or three people in lower offices in Cincinnati just suddenly out of thin air just decided, 'You know what, why don't we launch this massive effort to derail conservative groups, and actually go after individuals that give to conservative groups,' that that just suddenly happened."

Investigation into the allegation is underway and, Rep. Darrell Issa said Sunday, there may already be proof the targeting came at the behest of the IRS' Washington headquarters. Appearing on CNN's "State of the Union," the California Republican said the truth will come out, despite the Obama administration's attempt to obfuscate. Issa said White House spokesman Jay Carney "is saying whatever's convenient at the time" and changing the story about what happened.

"Their paid liar, their spokesperson, the picture behind, he's still making up things about what happened and calling this a local rogue," he told Candy Crowley.

A bipartisan group from the Ways and Means and Government Oversight and Reform committees has opened a probe, said Issa, the Oversight committee chairman.

"This is a problem that was in all likelihood right out of Washington headquarters," he added. "We're getting to proving it."

Already, Issa said, two Cincinnati IRS employees have been interviewed — and both have damning info to dish. One told congressional investigators the directive to scrutinize conservative groups in 2010 came directly from Washington. Another said the Cincinnati employees were "thrown underneath the bus."

Lois Lerner, who oversaw the tax-exempt division the White House identified as responsible for targeting conservative groups, has since been put on administrative leave.

"What we have is people who have to come in and transcribe interviews," Issa said Sunday. "They're saying under penalty of crimes that certain things are true. We have subpoenaed documents that would support that they say emails went back and forth," Issa said. "We will learn the whole truth."

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Re: Even NYDN attacks (IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups)

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Sun Jun 2 17:12:21 2013, in response to Even NYDN attacks (IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups), posted by Olog-hai on Sun Jun 2 17:10:08 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
"Republicans say"

Right there in the title.

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Re: Even NYDN reports (IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups)

Posted by AlM on Sun Jun 2 17:16:56 2013, in response to Even NYDN attacks (IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups), posted by Olog-hai on Sun Jun 2 17:10:08 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Title corrected.

This is not a NYDN opinion piece (as the prior title implied). It is reporting by the NYDN on statements by Republicans.

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Re: Even NYDN reports (IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups)

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Sun Jun 2 17:33:22 2013, in response to Re: Even NYDN reports (IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups), posted by AlM on Sun Jun 2 17:16:56 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Reading comprehension, and the title right there at that. It's not even for breakfast anymore. :)

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Re: Even NYDN attacks (IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups)

Posted by Olog-hai on Sun Jun 2 18:06:39 2013, in response to Re: Even NYDN reports (IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups), posted by AlM on Sun Jun 2 17:16:56 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Wrong. Read it again. A left-leaning paper "reporting" without trying to make the GOP look bad is definitely an attack. So start defending.

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IRS conference spending scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by Olog-hai on Mon Jun 3 06:47:56 2013, in response to IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 10 13:53:11 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Associated Press
Jun 3, 2013 3:25 AM EDT

IRS woes grow with report of conference spending

By Alan Fram
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service, already under fire after officials disclosed that the agency targeted conservative groups, faces increased scrutiny because of an inspector general's report that it spent about $50 million to hold at least 220 conferences for employees between 2010 and 2012.

The report by the Treasury Department's inspector general about conference spending is set to be released Tuesday. The department issued a statement Sunday saying the administration "has already taken aggressive and dramatic action to reduce conference spending."

The White House and the agency were on the defensive before the report on conference spending. Agency officials and the Obama administration have said the targeting of conservative groups was inappropriate, but the political tempest is showing no signs of ebbing.

Three congressional committees are investigating, a Justice Department criminal investigation is under way, President Barack Obama has replaced the IRS' acting commissioner and two other top officials have stepped aside.

The chairman of one of those committees, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., also released excerpts of congressional investigators' interviews with employees of the IRS office in Cincinnati. Issa said the interviews indicated the employees were directed by Washington to subject tea party and other conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status to tough scrutiny.

The closest the excerpts came to direct evidence that Washington had ordered the screening was one employee saying that "all my direction" came from an official who the excerpt said was in Washington. The top Democrat on that panel, Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, said none of the employees interviewed have so far identified any IRS officials in Washington as ordering that targeting.

The conference spending included $4 million for an August 2010 gathering in Anaheim, Calif., for which the agency did not negotiate lower room rates, even though that is standard government practice, according to a statement by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Instead, some of the 2,600 attendees received benefits, including baseball tickets and stays in presidential suites that normally cost $1,500 to $3,500 per night. In addition, 15 outside speakers were paid a total of $135,000 in fees, with one paid $17,000 to talk about "leadership through art," the House committee said.

IRS spokeswoman Michelle Eldridge said Sunday that spending on large agency conferences with 50 or more participants fell from $37.6 million in the 2010 budget year to $4.9 million in 2012. The government's fiscal year begins Oct. 1 the previous calendar year.

On Friday, the new acting commissioner, Danny Werfel, released a statement on the forthcoming report criticizing the Anaheim meeting.

"This conference is an unfortunate vestige from a prior era," Werfel said. "While there were legitimate reasons for holding the meeting, many of the expenses associated with it were inappropriate and should not have occurred."

On the topic of targeting conservative groups, Issa's committee also released excerpts from interviews congressional investigators conducted last week with two IRS employees from the agency's Cincinnati office. The excerpts omitted the names of those interviewed and provided no specifics about individuals in Washington who may have been involved.

One of the IRS employees said in an excerpt that they were told by a supervisor that the need to collect the reports came from Washington, and said that in early 2010 the Cincinnati office had sent copies of seven of the cases to Washington.

One of the workers also expressed skepticism that the Cincinnati office originated the screening without direction from Washington, according to the excerpts.

Appearing Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," Issa said this conflicted with White House comments that have referred to misconduct by IRS workers in Cincinnati.

Issa said, "This is a problem that was coordinated in all likelihood right out of Washington headquarters and we're getting to proving it."

Cummings said Issa's comments conflicted with a Treasury inspector general's report that provided no evidence that the Cincinnati office received orders on targeting from anyone else.

The interviews with IRS employees were conducted by Republican and Democratic aides on Issa's committee and also involved aides from both parties with the House Ways and Means Committee. One of the employees was a lower-level worker while the other was higher-ranked, said one congressional aide, but the committee did not release their names or titles.

The IRS Cincinnati office handles applications from around the country for tax-exempt status. A Treasury inspector general's report in May said employees there began searching for applications from tea party and conservative groups in their hunt for organizations that primarily do work related to election campaigns.

That May report blamed "ineffective management" for letting that screening occur for more than 18 months between 2010 and 2012. But that report — and three hearings by congressional committees — have produced no specific evidence that the Cincinnati workers were ordered by anyone in Washington to target conservatives.

The latest report on IRS conferences will be the subject of a hearing Thursday by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Karen Kraushaar, spokeswoman for the inspector general's office, said public discussion of a report before it is released "serves no purpose and should generally be avoided."

Werfel is scheduled to make his first congressional appearance as acting commissioner Monday when he appears before a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.

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Re: GOP military WASTE scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by RockParkMan on Mon Jun 3 07:29:40 2013, in response to IRS conference spending scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by Olog-hai on Mon Jun 3 06:47:56 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
MEGA BRAC is coming.

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Re: IRS conference spending scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by SLRT on Mon Jun 3 09:23:54 2013, in response to IRS conference spending scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by Olog-hai on Mon Jun 3 06:47:56 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Honestly, that kind of crap just reveals what many of us know: government agencies spend money on stupid things.

This is a useless diversion; I worry more about the IRS potentially looking into my personal life because of my political beliefs.

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Re: IRS conference spending scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by bingbong on Mon Jun 3 10:42:46 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by SLRT on Mon Jun 3 09:23:54 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
NOt exactly. Many IRS conferences are about getting the word to preparers and the legal community about changes to the code, which happen every year. Considering that it's done regionally, and there's several regions in just about every state, running up a tab like that shouldn't be such a surprise.

Someone has to go the Hawaii and Guam, yunno. They pay taxes too.

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Re: IRS conference spending scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by SLRT on Mon Jun 3 12:44:42 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by bingbong on Mon Jun 3 10:42:46 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
I didn't complain about it, bingbong. I think you're answering the wrong person.

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Re: IRS conference spending scrutiniz (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by Olog-hai on Mon Jun 3 12:47:09 2013, in response to Re: GOP military WASTE scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by RockParkMan on Mon Jun 3 07:29:40 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
You're a very transparent liar, rocKKKparKKKnazi. Never mind you wanting the USA to disarm while everyone else in the world is accelerating re-arming.

Anyone who dares defend the IRS in anything is a true Nazi.

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Re: IRS conference spending scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by Olog-hai on Mon Jun 3 12:48:07 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by SLRT on Mon Jun 3 09:23:54 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
So it's not a breakthrough that the AP is actually reporting on this, during a highly left-wing Democrat president's tenure?

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Re: IRS conference spending scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Mon Jun 3 12:48:30 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by bingbong on Mon Jun 3 10:42:46 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
You've devolved into a self-parody.

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(1070540)

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Re: IRS conference spending scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by Olog-hai on Mon Jun 3 13:07:32 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Mon Jun 3 12:48:30 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
I caught on to that a long time ago.

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Re: IRS conference spending scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by orange blossom special on Mon Jun 3 19:09:39 2013, in response to IRS conference spending scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by Olog-hai on Mon Jun 3 06:47:56 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Prices sound average. Last time they had this story, employees lost their pen privileges in budget tighetening.

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IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by Olog-hai on Thu Jun 6 12:37:46 2013, in response to IRS conference spending scrutinized (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by Olog-hai on Mon Jun 3 06:47:56 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Reuters

IRS official in Star Trek spoof apologizes for lavish conference

By Kim Dixon and Patrick Temple-West
Thu Jun 6, 2013 12:11pm EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — A top official at the U.S. Internal Revenue Service on Thursday acknowledged that it was "embarrassing" how much the tax agency spent on training videos, including a Star Trek spoof, and other lavish expenses during a 2010 conference in California.

Faris Fink, commissioner of the agency's small business and self-employed division, told lawmakers the videos, which cost more than $50,000 to produce, were well-intentioned but in hindsight inappropriate.

"It's embarrassing. I apologize," said Fink, who played the character Spock in the Star Trek parody that included a tax-themed skit. "I regret the fact that they were made."

The IRS, already under a cloud of scandal related to the targeting of conservative groups, this week faced fresh criticism over a Treasury watchdog report on wasteful spending.

The report released on Tuesday found that the IRS used money originally intended for hiring enforcement employees to partially fund a $4.1 million conference in Anaheim, California, that included luxury hotel rooms and a speaker paid $17,000 to talk about leadership through painting.

Republican Representative Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight Committee holding the hearing on Thursday, accused the IRS of grossly mismanaging taxpayer money with conference spending that was "at best maliciously self-indulgent."

Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the committee, said he was up at 3 a.m. watching the Star Trek video trying to find a way the cost could be justified.

"I swear I do not see the redeeming value," Cummings said.

The tax agency has been under fire since early May, when IRS official Lois Lerner publicly acknowledged that IRS workers had inappropriately targeted Tea Party groups seeking tax-exempt status for intense scrutiny, and apologized for the behavior.

Multiple congressional committees and the Justice Department have since opened probes into the matter, but it is still unclear exactly who initiated the targeting and what the motivation was behind it.

Republicans have accused the IRS of following direction from Washington, but current and former top IRS officials have denied that there was any political motivation.

Instead, they say the Cincinnati office made a poor choice in using criteria such as "Tea Party" and "patriots" to sift through a flood of applications for tax-exempt status.

President Barack Obama denied knowing about the targeting before Lerner's apology on May 10 and has since fired Steven Miller, who was the acting head of the IRS. Lerner has been put on administrative leave.

On Wednesday, two IRS staffers were suspended because of the conference spending scandal.

Congressional staff members briefed on the matter said two employees — including one working on Obama's healthcare initiative — were disciplined for improperly accepting gifts at the Anaheim conference.

(Reporting by Kim Dixon and Patrick Temple-West; Writing by Karey Van Hall; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by RockParkMan on Thu Jun 6 13:26:14 2013, in response to IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by Olog-hai on Thu Jun 6 12:37:46 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
why don't they cut up a few dozen Navy ships we can't afford anyway.

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(1071407)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by Olog-hai on Thu Jun 6 16:09:25 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by RockParkMan on Thu Jun 6 13:26:14 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Sure, as long as they drop the pieces on your head, rocKKKparKKKnazi. We need the navy far more than the IRS kleptocracy (not even you need them, unless you're a welfare queen).

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(1071408)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by Olog-hai on Thu Jun 6 16:09:45 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by RockParkMan on Thu Jun 6 13:26:14 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Sure, as long as they drop the pieces on your head, rocKKKparKKKnazi. We need the navy far more than the IRS kleptocracy (not even you need the IRS, unless you're a welfare queen).

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(1071432)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Thu Jun 6 18:01:58 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by Olog-hai on Thu Jun 6 16:09:45 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Kleptocracy ... lol. And just how are you going to fund your troops marching into all those places you don't like if there's no money to pay for it?

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(1071442)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by RockParkMan on Thu Jun 6 18:11:38 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by SelkirkTMO on Thu Jun 6 18:01:58 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
just eliminate as many military units and scrap/sell off as much military assets as possible. We can no longer afford this shit.

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(1071452)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by Olog-hai on Thu Jun 6 18:19:46 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by SelkirkTMO on Thu Jun 6 18:01:58 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Don't need the IRS for that. Far more money goes towards SNAP and other welfare programs like that than the military.

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(1071460)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Thu Jun 6 18:52:41 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by Olog-hai on Thu Jun 6 18:19:46 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
LOL!

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(1071488)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by RockParkMan on Thu Jun 6 20:09:57 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by Olog-hai on Thu Jun 6 18:19:46 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Cut and Gut the SHITagon

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(1071498)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by SMAZ on Thu Jun 6 20:37:48 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by Olog-hai on Thu Jun 6 16:09:25 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
The Navy cannot exist without the IRS.

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(1071501)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Thu Jun 6 20:43:54 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by SMAZ on Thu Jun 6 20:37:48 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Nah ... Jersey Central Railroad is picking up the tab. They already had a stop at Monmouth anyway. :)

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(1071502)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by RockParkMan on Thu Jun 6 20:45:22 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by SMAZ on Thu Jun 6 20:37:48 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
We have twice the Navy we need or can afford anyway.

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(1071529)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by Olog-hai on Thu Jun 6 21:24:22 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by SelkirkTMO on Thu Jun 6 18:52:41 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Oh it does. Welfare's in the trillions now at the federal level. Military is still in the high billions.

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(1071530)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by Olog-hai on Thu Jun 6 21:25:19 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by RockParkMan on Thu Jun 6 20:09:57 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Maybe that aspect. Only to put real soldiers in charge again.

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(1071531)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by SMAZ on Thu Jun 6 21:26:23 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by Olog-hai on Thu Jun 6 21:24:22 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Only to Fascists like you consider Social Security and Medicare to be welfare.

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(1071533)

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Re: IRS officials *not* fully cooperating with investigators (was: apologizes)

Posted by Olog-hai on Thu Jun 6 21:27:35 2013, in response to Re: IRS officials *not* fully cooperating with investigators (was: apologizes), posted by ClearAspect on Thu May 23 06:33:49 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
It's the same old liberal BS. Talking points will come out in the wash. Never mind the same old liberal Alinskyite insults.

BTW, you disappointed that Sarah Murnaghan won't end up choking to death now?

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(1071536)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by SMAZ on Thu Jun 6 21:28:27 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by Olog-hai on Thu Jun 6 21:25:19 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
If real soldiers had been in charge we never would have went to Iraq and most of the Pentagon's purchases of horses and bayonets would have been eliminated.

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(1071540)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by bingbong on Thu Jun 6 21:31:25 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by Olog-hai on Thu Jun 6 21:24:22 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
LOL!!! Feeding people costs way less than killing them.

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(1071541)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by Olog-hai on Thu Jun 6 21:33:16 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by SMAZ on Thu Jun 6 21:26:23 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
They are welfare, and only fascist statists like you would claim they aren't. Not even liberals believe the "only get out what you put in" bullshit anymore; they know that both of those are Ponzi schemes, and Medicare exacerbated the SS aspect of it.

Used to be in the smoking doctor days (before Medicare and other insurance scams), the doctor would come to visit you.

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(1071546)

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Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP)

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Thu Jun 6 21:36:58 2013, in response to Re: IRS conference spending *apology* (IRS apologizes for going after conservatives, Tea Party, GOP), posted by SMAZ on Thu Jun 6 21:26:23 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
It's Olog fer krissakes! :)

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