Do new IRS revelations prove there is no Tea Party scandal?

The new head of the tax agency says the IRS targeted lefty groups seeking tax-exempt status, too

IRS
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Internal Revenue Service probably won't ever be popular, but its reputation has taken a big hit since revelations in May that several dozen conservative-sounding applicants for tax-exempt status were singled out for special scrutiny. Officials at the IRS's Cincinnati office used "Be On the Look Out" (BOLO) lists with an evolving (and devolving) list of terms, including "Tea Party," "patriot," or "9/12."

The subsequent shake-up at the IRS brought in a new commissioner, Danny Werfel, who said on Monday that the use of BOLO lists continued until at least April, that he'd formally put a stop to the spreadsheets last week — and that the breadth of the search terms was much wider than reported in a damaging inspector general's report.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.