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Judge Orders IRS to release Tea Party target list

Judge Orders IRS to release Tea Party target list

If Bush had done this to liberals, people would be in jail by now.

The Department of Justice may have let Lois Lerner off the hook, but a judge has ordered the IRS to release the names of the Tea Party groups that were singled out for scrutiny.

Stephen Dinan of the Washington Times:

Judge orders IRS to release list of tea party groups targeted for scrutiny

A federal judge ordered the IRS this week to turn over the list of 298 groups it targeted for intrusive scrutiny as the agency defends against a potential class-action lawsuit by tea party groups who claim their constitutional rights were violated.

The IRS had argued it shouldn’t have to release the names because doing do would violate privacy laws, but Judge Susan J. Dlott, who sits in the Southern District of Ohio, rejected that claim and ordered the tax agency to turn over any lists or spreadsheets detailing the groups that were targeted and when they filed their applications.

Judge Dlott also ordered the IRS to say whether a partial list of targeted groups reported by USA Today is authentic as a number of tea party groups try to win certification for a class action lawsuit against the IRS.

The great Jazz Shaw of Hot Air has more:

Judge orders IRS to release list of targeted conservative nonprofit groups

There are several layers to this particular onion. The White House fought back from day one against any such disclosures, saying that releasing the requested information would require exposing private data which the IRS is forbidden to reveal. But that’s only intended to protect individuals, businesses and groups from having all the particulars about their internal business exposed, not the simple fact that they exist and pay taxes. In this suit, rather than asking for all of the numbers, the IRS is simply being asked to provide a spreadsheet containing the identities of the groups under scrutiny. The judge agreed that the case couldn’t be decided without that bare minimum data.

More interesting are the possibilities which follow if the data finally comes to light. If the groups can establish that they all fall under the same umbrella of potential discrimination, they can be bound together in a class action suit. This opens up a range of possibilities, including the hope that the secretive agency will be forced to expose their practices to the public.

I still enjoy wondering how different this would be if it happened on Bush’s watch.

Do you think the media might be more interested?

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Comments

Paramount among the outlaw agencies of the Federal monster is the IRS.

The tax code is the FIRST and WORST affront to any concept of “freedom” held by Americans. It is irrational (I insist by design), capricious, and oppressive. The agency that “administers” it is corrupt, tyrannical, and beyond normal means of correction.

It needs to be burned down, root and branch. Then the roots ripped out and destroyed, as well. The Sixteenth was a Progressive monster, and MUST be repealed as part of the Constitutional reformation that is required.

It was the progs that forced in the 16th amendment. They did this to have an excuse for creating the Federal Reserve. Which by the way, is unconstitutional too.

Midwest Rhino | April 5, 2015 at 11:47 am

Bush could never get entrenched bureaucrats to act on behalf of Republicans. Those that get early retirement, public union protection, and golden benefits, will only go after those wanting to stop providing the golden eggs to the privileged.

The Lois Lerner type attacks happened for decades, as a Durbin foe has stated from back in Clinton days. The mob of lefties is glad to help defeat those that might limit their pension, or make them work rather than watch porn. heh

the great leverage against unlawful bureaucrats is their pension. Pass a law that forfeits their pension and accrual of service credits dating back to when the unlawful action started. Also, nobody does this alone. They work in lockstep with fellow traveler supervisors and peers, almost like a racketeering operation…no? RICO anyone?

    Barry in reply to Frank G. | April 5, 2015 at 12:43 pm

    “Pass a law that forfeits their pension and accrual of service credits dating back to when the unlawful action started.

    Fixed it for you.

    Ragspierre in reply to Frank G. | April 5, 2015 at 12:50 pm

    The cardinal flaw in that thinking is in supposing that there is a dearth of laws. There isn’t.

    There IS a dearth of ABIDING by laws. The chief enforcement officers are the king-pins of the rackets.

      Karen Sacandy in reply to Ragspierre. | April 5, 2015 at 3:04 pm

      It as been repeatedly shown over the years, that the most basic of protections for citizens against bureaucrats have never been enacted.

      As for this order, to reveal the names, thank God. What infuriates me, is that we even have to wonder if the names will be released, as well as the names of the ne’er-do-wells.

        Ragspierre in reply to Karen Sacandy. | April 5, 2015 at 7:06 pm

        Karen, you don’t seriously suggest that IRS employees who are tax cheats don’t face existing laws sanctioning their conduct, do you?

      Ragspierre in reply to Ragspierre. | April 5, 2015 at 7:04 pm

      OK, this is one of those times when I call out the “down-twinkie” people.

      If you disagree with my comment, have the integrity and fortitude to say WHY.

      Or, you can be anonymous cowards. Your choice.

Doug Wright Old Grouchy | April 5, 2015 at 1:58 pm

Fair Tax of Flat Tax?

Either one works well. The issue is to get either one passed effective as soon as possible. Part of that new legislation should be to offer civil service jobs in neighborhood cleanup or WPA type projects to all those in the lower Civil Service classifications or for retention working in the new SIRS.

For the executive Civil Service classifications: Come up with a way to say “Adios” with thanks for past service; Ok, perhaps a smallish golden parachute, with no reserve chute allowed.

As to the new Fair Tax, or Flat Tax, make darned sure that the only exception, or deduction allowed, would be for rolling over capital gains income into a reinvestment, for example, into a new house, or a new capital venture.

Argue the details all you want, those can be rectified, or nit picked, the IRS needs to be greatly reduced in size and in scope of its effective on damaging our society.

Hear, hear!

Ps: SIRS stands for Smaller, smarter, and streamlined, IRS

IRS: We can’t find it. Sorry.