Walker, Jindal in Letter to Obama Call IRS Scandal 'Big Brother Come to Life'

CNN reports that IRS officials also knew about the targeting of conservative groups in June 2011.

(MADISON) - As he prepared for his meeting Tuesday morning with the peaceful Dalai Lama in Madison, Gov. Scott Walker packed a rhetorical punch in a letter he and fellow Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana penned demanding President Obama call for a special prosecutor to investigate the Internal Revenue Service scandal.

Jindal, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, and Walker, vice chair, said they were disturbed in learning the IRS has been “unfairly targeting and applying added scrutiny” to conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status.

“To be blunt, this is Big Brother come to life and a witch hunt to prevent Americans from exercising their First Amendment rights,” the governors wrote.

On Friday, Lois Lerner, director of the IRS’ exempt organizations unit, apologized for what she described as “low-level” IRS agents inappropriately flagging organizations with the descriptors, “tea party” or “patriot” for further review.

“We had a shortcut in the process. It wasn’t appropriate. We learned about it and we fixed it,” Lerner answered emphatically Wisconsin Reporter’s question whether the delays were politically motivated.

Contrary to concerns expressed by several conservative groups that they had been targeted by the agency, IRS officials, including Lerner last week, denied knowing about any increased scrutiny until last year.

A draft report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration obtained by CNN says agents were to give special scrutiny with groups that had made statements criticizing “how the country is being run.”

“The report says in January 2012, the criteria were revised as ‘political action-type organizations involved in limiting/expanding government, educating on the Constitution and Bill of Rights, social economic reform/movement,’” the CNN story states.

IRS officials also knew about the targeting of conservative groups in June 2011, and the practice began as early as March 2010, according to CNN.

An official with TIGTA told Wisconsin Reporter the agency does not release draft reports and said the final report should be completed and released publicly sometime this week.

As the White House expressed consternation at the latest news from the scandal and Obama pledged to hold wrongdoers “fully accountable” if they acted in “anything less than a neutral and non-partisan way”, Walker and Jindal called the IRS’ actions “un-American.”

“The actions of the IRS are an attempt to gag the voices of Americans who may disagree with the policies and left-leaning ideology of your administration,” the governors wrote to Obama. “This is a subversion of American liberty and a secret but direct attack against the U.S. Constitution. Immediate action must be taken to ensure this never happens again.”

Walker and Jindal, seen as among the more prominent conservatives in the Republican Party, demanded the firing of all employees responsible, and appoint a special prosecutor “now to find out if laws were broken and if anyone committed crimes.”

“The bottom line is that regardless of one’s political beliefs, conservatives and liberals alike must be able to exercise their First Amendment rights without fear that the federal government will abuse them for having differing opinions,” the governors wrote.

IRS media relations officials did not return Wisconsin Reporter’s request for comment. Wisconsin Reporter seeks to know the extent of “flagging” or targeting of conservative organizations or any other organizations by the IRS, in Wisconsin.

The Rock River Patriots appear to have been one of the conservative groups targeted, according to Marv Munyon, secretary/treasurer of the Wisconsin organizations.

Munyon last week told Wisconsin Reporter he applied for 501(c)(4) for the group in April 2012. The organization has yet to be approved, although the IRS cashed the Rock River Patriots’ application fee of $400 on May 2, 2012, according to Munyon.

He said all he’s received for his trouble is the “runaround,” that he was sent from one agent to the next, over and over again.

“Finally, a lady told me, ‘Your application has been received but it hasn’t been referred to anyone to look at yet.’ I said, ‘What does that mean?’ She said, ‘It hasn’t been put into process at all yet,’” he said.

He said he received a letter on Jan. 29, 2013, informing him that, “the initial screening of the application of your case should be assigned to an exempt organizations specialist for technical review. We assign applications to specialists in the order that we receive them.”

The letter further states, “Unfortunately, we are experiencing delays in working applications that require further development.”

Although he has filed the organization’s tax forms, noting the tax-exempt application was pending, Munyon said he still is awaiting word from the IRS.

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Jonathan May 19, 2013 11:33 am (Pacific time)

It was vary relevant when the Secret Service loaded up President Bush after 911 and flew him around the country. Everyone wanted to know where he was. They accused him of everything from cowardice to ignorance, to not caring. But that was president Bush, and this is Obamalamadingdong. Next day Bush was in his office. Next day Obama was off on a fund-raiser to Las Vegas.

pinkfloyd May 17, 2013 10:12 am (Pacific time)

Just another thought..well, the IRS that targeted specific groups, is also targeting marijuana dispensaries that are not owned by the IRS friends. http://rinf.com/alt-news/breaking-news/the-other-irs-scandal-outright-war-against-marijuana-dispensaries/34180/.....also, the lead person in regards to the IRS scandal is now going to be the obamacare head person, which means they can target people who the IRS disagrees with and deny proper medical care.. In the mean time, military says they dont need presidential/senate/congress approval to lock down a city. FACT: our military is part of NATO. So, now NATO decides what police/military action will be taken on the streets of the U.S. Same as the middle east, same as I told ya this was coming years ago. NATO consists of foreign troops. The IRS, NATO, we are becoming worse than North Korea. Welcome to the new world order. Dont even get me started on Monsanto..they also control the government, and will continue to poison us all..Not to mention the pharma industry...ah never mind.

Anonymous May 17, 2013 9:22 am (Pacific time)

It appears that Obama and his regime are finally getting the exposure that is needed for even the low information voters. When you have those on the left telling you how to think and make conclusions for you regarding the information coming out...it just displays the utter contempt they have for you being able to come to your own conclusions. My suggestion is to compare and contrast the different information sources and see which ones are actually offering facts, not spin. There are real reasons why the majority of the mainstream media is losing audience, while some are gaining. America is the greatest country on earth because we have the brightest people, and they are no longer being fooled by those on the left. Pitchforks, tar and feathers and gallows will be omnipresent in due time.

rocks May 16, 2013 5:50 pm (Pacific time)

Gov. Walker saved Wisconsin. Unions need to be phased out to help re-energize our economy.

Anonymous May 15, 2013 7:53 pm (Pacific time)

I dont understand Bill..everything I speak of is against fox news. In fact, i dont even have a tv, I dont watch tv at all..and the likes of glenn beck etc are not my friends at all. Ever looked up the few people who own all the media? I bet you didnt. .I dont even care that you post a name, I just read what you write, and respond. Your name could be Joe for all I care.. I dont understand your post, it makes no sense to me. I know this should not be a forum of being negative with other posters, and will not make a habit of it, but I did not start this, I am simply responding. I am not anon at 11:34. So, I do understand how it gets confusing, I will start using a name. If more than one anon, it gets confusing, I will use a name from now on..how about, hmmm. pinkfloyd?. I will use pinkfloyd from now on. I am anon from 12:32 and 12:45. Not the one before tho. Pinkfloyd signing off for the night..:-) By the way, if there is anything in my posts you disagree with, address them specifically and we can chat/debate, but calling names and saying go to fox news is not productive...thanks. And I did not know there were requirements in this posting area against others that have different views or opinions. If the pew you mention needs requirements, let me know and I will do as you say and move on..

Bill Annett May 15, 2013 1:15 pm (Pacific time)

Anonymous, if you had the guts to say your own name, I'd be more concerned with a dialogue. As it is, you're in the wrong pew. You should be correspinding with Fox News.

Anonymous May 15, 2013 12:45 pm (Pacific time)

Democratic Operative Axelrod said that the government is too vast for Obama to control. In trying to protect Obama, he admitted that the government is out of control!!! This is why we need a limited government. SOme call me anti-government, and that is a lie, I am for limited government, a government that does not invade dozens of countries and lies about terror to control every aspect of our lives...Think about this for a minute. The IRS will handle your healthcare under obamacare.. Not a warm fuzzy feeling is it? Disagree with government? You will get a crutch and an aspirin instead of knee surgery etc. And yet again, there is a good chance we will have a republican president 2016. So, plan on the IRS targeting democrat parties.. You are the ones that give the power, you are the ones that will suffer. The republicans do the same thing.

Anonymous May 15, 2013 12:32 pm (Pacific time)

To Bill Annett. If my last post actually gets posted, I think I answered your questions. I hope you read it. Its not about repubs, demos, its about both parties being controlled by the bankers/corporations (which are actually one entity). They took over in 1913/ the federal reserve bank (foreign bankers) was created and so was the IRS. The IRS is nothing more than an entity owned by the bankers to take our money. The 16th ammenment was never ratified and IRS taxes are actually illegal, but what is new...They used the republican party to build a world empire (war), and the democratic party to enslave the U.S. citizens thru welfare etc. Now both parties have pretty much merged into one banker party, where they destroy the U.S. and getting stinking rich doing it. Are you awake now?

Anonymous May 15, 2013 11:34 am (Pacific time)

Bill why the distraction? Have you been following the latest on Libya, the AP wiretaps and IRS misbehaviors (read criminal acts)? Today Atty. General Holder testified he knew nothing about the AP privacy invasions, so he would recuse himself. RECUSE, for what? He then discussed the Boston Bombing and said he was disappointed that for public safety concerns that the suspect was given his Miranda rights before he could have been fully questioned. HE ORDERED the Federal Judge to give those rights. When does a federal judge do that in a hospital room and not law enforcement? What are they hiding? He's on record saying the same thing during the Detroit bombing situation a few years back, and has done nothing. He testified today that the AP intrusion was because of the worst intelligence leaks in the history of the country. So did President Obama get informed? If not, why not? Now why was Holder not informed on this most severe leak? My goodness even my liberal co-workers are demanding a Special Counsel. Now what is wrong with that? Considering how divided the country is, which I say is along IQ lines, and regarding that line, just look at the blue political areas with the red political areas when it comes to obvious behaviors. What we are seeing here Bill is a quickly growing assortment of high level crimes that the far left will not be able to successfully distract with their normal bs. Though they will try, and it will be fun to watch these anti-Americans eventually get what they got coming. America is in serious trouble and I expect some very serious crap about to go down.

Anonymous May 15, 2013 11:30 am (Pacific time)

If the white house says that obama did not know about the IRS scandal, the bengazi scandal, fast and furious, and the DHS buying 2.3 rounds of hollow point ammo (because of his constant million dollar vacations), then as a person who is running the country, he should be fired. If he did know (which I think he did/does), he should be impeached. And then signing legislation to stop import of ammo (while using our tax dollars for DHS to buy 2.3 billion rounds), he is circumventing the 2nd ammendment, which is against the oath he swore to. Either way, he should not be president. On another note. If you look back 100 years, seeing the graph of how 95% of the time, the president went from democrat to republican every 4 years with very few exceptions. So, while the democrats give obama all this power, and covering up for him, the chances are close to 100% that a republican with be president in 2016. Good luck when the IRS starts targeting democratic groups. All the power the dem's or repub's give the president, with hopes that your "party" will get stronger only backfires, while the bankers and corporations use the presidency and the powers both parties gave to control you, enslave you and bring this country to poverty while they get stinking rich. The reasons many politicians are for gun control is because they know people are waking up to their crimes and intend to prosecute and jail them. Thus, give more guns to swat teams, and take them away from those that obey the rule of law. If you are republican or democrat, you have been duped, lied to and controlled. Get rid of the label and be a human being.

Bill Annett May 15, 2013 10:56 am (Pacific time)

Anyone with two brain cells to rub together would agree that "targeting" any political group for refusal of tax-exempt status is unlawful. Period. We don't need those staunch upholders of truth and electoral freedom such as Jindal and Walker to intruct us. But in all the hubbub, nobody, apparently, has asked the question: "If extreme ringt-wing groups have been the only ones applying for fraudulent tax-exempt status, who's "targeting" them? They are targeting themselves with their attempted fraud. Now let's get around to the Republican Goveernors and Attorneys-General who were quite busy "targeting" black and low-income white voters during the late lamented election, a strategy that cost them the election, because people - like here in Florida - were so pissed off that they stood in line for up to nine hours to vote against the vote-restruictors.

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Walker, Jindal in Letter to Obama Call IRS Scandal 'Big Brother Come to Life'

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