In the wake of intense criticism over the agency’s targeting of conservative groups, former and current embattled IRS officials, Steven Miller and Lois Lerner, have reportedly received threats of physical violence.
From Sky News:
Ousted IRS acting commissioner Steven Miller has received threats, a source told Reuters news agency.And the head of the tax-exempt unit at the agency, Lois Lerner, has also had telephone and email messages from unknown sources that “threaten physical violence”, according to her lawyer William Taylor.Ms Lerner first disclosed the targeting of conservative groups, including the Tea Party, at a tax conference last month.The threats have been referred to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), which is charged with the protection of IRS personnel.
The Huffington Post has more details regarding security procedures, as well as statistics on threats that the IRS typically receives.
Miller and Lerner live in the Maryland suburbs of Washington. On May 15, the day Miller was fired by President Barack Obama, local police stepped up patrols around Miller’s home when TV news crews had gathered outside, a law enforcement spokeswoman told Reuters.Miller, at the time, was getting security protection from federal agents, the spokeswoman said. It is unclear if he is still getting protection. Security has not been added for Lerner’s neighborhood, the spokeswoman said.
Sources that spoke with those news outlets declined to elaborate further on the threats.
Police in the area of Miller and Lerner’s residences indicated that they were not investigating any cases involving personal threats to IRS employees, according to the Huffington Post.
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