IRS may have targeted conservatives more broadly

IRS may have targeted conservatives more broadly. “…at a minimum could spread skepticism about the fairness of a powerful agency that should be above reproach and at worst could point to a secret political vendetta within the government against conservatives.” Meanwhile, IRS Ignores Senate Deadline to Answer Questions About Scandal. Worst case is looking like the winner.

This post was last modified on January 31, 2021

Bonfire of the Absurdities: After 35 year career writing software for IBM mainframes, am now self-employed contractor thinking of joining a union and striking for higher wages. Cured morbid fear of heights when I learned to look at them as lengths standing on end. Uncompromising in refusal to accept browser cookies. Amateur investor who has accumulated a small fortune in the market after starting out years ago with a large one. For recreation, I run, hike, kayak and play tennis but will not consider synchronized swimming under any circumstances.

View Comments (12)

  • Are any of us surprised that the IRS told the senate to go screw itself? I'm not. This proves that the IRS feels its above all laws and over sight by anyone or any court.

    It's time to issue subpoenas and contempt of Congress. Then just for fun a special prosecutor.

    • Absolutely, That was a gestapo like raid. I remember when seeing it on FOX and feeling like this is not the free America I grew up in.

  • The good news?

    These types of people and agencies now have the power of life or death over you and your loved ones. Someone is going to have to get rationed. I think we know whom will, the people that are not thinking correctly.

    • Marginalizing some types of anti-government thought as conspiracy theory could well portend an intent to declare mentally ill and have committed or at least use the "diagnosis" as justification for curtailing rights and freedoms of those who espouse conservatism.

  • I have no doubt. None at all. With all of the computerization today, and all of the required TIN tracking and so on, I am positive that there are algorithms that pull claims for audit. We KNOW that certain things have always been triggers - more than $50k in mortgage interest, large charitable donations and big home office deductions for unprofitable home businesses have routinely been triggers, any accountant can tell you that - and that has been true since long before the data-mining techniques they have today.

    These days, it is likely that a series of small donations made to certain organizations, tracked by their government ID #, can put a person into the audit candidate pile. Plus, I guarantee that people who work at Fox News get scrutinized much more often than employees of MSNBC. People who work at Gibson Guitar yes, employees of Ben and Jerry's - not so much. In fact, I would LOVE to see the proof of this. I would love some number's cruncher go through and see how this all worked out. But they CAN'T! It's confidential. ONLY the IRS is (supposedly) able to see this stuff.

    I am also certain that Obama has been using the IRS as a political weapon from day one. I know that the Clinton's did it - no doubt. It would not really surprise me if Bush (or his people) did, to some degree. Nixon did. I would doubt that Carter did, or that Regan did, but I wouldn't place any bets on it.

    The thing with THIS administration is they think they are plated in gold. They think that they OWN the media, and that they can get away with anything, so they don't even TRY to hide it. If a little intimidation is good, then a LOT of intimidation is way better, right?

    No finesse. And that's what's gonna bring them down. No one really cares if some rich political analyst gets audited, but when THEY are, or their brother or neighbor is - then they care.

    • A fair tax takes away the opportunity of political hacks to grease their own wheels by offering tax loopholes to those who line their pockets with campaign contributions.

  • The IRS is nothing more than a money laundering arm of the US government and needs to be shut down.

    • Established essentially to fund the Federal Reserve Bank. Role has changed but the underlying motives are the same.

      • When many hundreds of billions can materialize in times of convenient economic crisis it should escape any but the most compromised mentalities that the IRS is fiscally completely unnecessary which should turn ones attention to the burning question of what purpose does the agency really serve. It boils down to control... not only over what the general population has to spend of what it earns (the dwindling portion that is actually out earning a wage) but also a purposeful tangle of red tape that power brokers offer a way through to politically convenient businesses and campaign contributors.

        From a campaigner's perspective the system not only is ripe for corruption but its onerous costs makes that corruption a virtual necessity.