IRS ‘targeting’ angers conservative groups

Disclosures that the Internal Revenue Service conducted special scrutiny of conservative groups seeking tax exemption, including groups associated with Billy Graham, led the Obama administration in May to oust the agency’s acting director and to announce that the Justice Department has begun a criminal investigation.

“If you’ve got the IRS operating in anything less than a neutral and nonpartisan way, then that is outrageous,” said Obama, who stated he would “not tolerate” any such abuse of power by the IRS.

On May 17, at the first of three congressional hearings on the matter, Steven Miller, who resigned under pressure as acting director, defended the federal tax agency as overwhelmed by “social welfare” applications for exemption. But he also acknowledged at one point, “I can say, generally, we provided horrible customer service here.”