Perhaps a Congressional inquiry about the Internal Revenue Service providing extra scrutiny targeting political groups should not be a surprise.
However, the suggestion that President Barack Obama was first notified of the situation by the media is cause for concern.
The suggestion that political entities were receiving undue attention was reported in February 2012 on conservative web sites. The New York Times reported on the issue on March 6, 2012.
“In recent weeks, the IRS has sent dozens of detailed questionnaires to Tea Party organizations applying for nonprofit tax status, demanding to know their political leanings and activities,” The Times wrote.
An inquiry was started by the staffs of Rep. Darrell Issa of California, and Rep. Jim Jordan, Rep.-Ohio, who contacted the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration in March 2012 to explore an investigation of allegations of abuse by IRS Officials reviewing applications for tax exemption by conservative groups.
The lawmakers requested an audit on June 28, 2012. The audit covered the IRS oversight of organizations applying for tax-exempt status.
Inspector general J. Russell George notified lawmakers that the audit started July 11, 2012.
At this point, there is no solid evidence that Obama’s administration served any role. Apparently, they were not even aware of the situation, which is troubling.
Montana Sen. Max Baucus, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, the ranking Republican, have drafted 41 questions to Steven T. Miller, the acting IRS commissioner who was forced out over the controversy.
Those questions should be answered by May 31, go well beyond the IRS to the question that Republicans have been hitting on for a week — Did anyone in Obama’s administration know anything?
A Senate Finance Committee will feature Douglas Shulman, the last confirmed IRS commissioner, who headed the service during much of the targeting effort.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has scheduled its first hearing Wednesday, which will include Lois Lerner.
Lerner headed the IRS division overseeing tax-exempt organizations and apparently tried to shape and temper the targeting effort. Members of the committee have accused Lerner of lying about the effort.
Deputy Treasury Secretary Neal S. Wolin is scheduled to testify Wednesday, making him the first Obama administration official to answer questions before Congress on the matter.
It’s going to get interesting.

Jim Misunas