DOJ settles Tea Party groups' lawsuits over IRS scrutiny

by **Rocky** Fri 27 Oct 2017, 5:40 am

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Post n°1

DOJ settles Tea Party groups' lawsuits over IRS scrutiny

by Rocky Fri 27 Oct 2017, 5:40 am

[size=54]DOJ settles Tea Party groups' lawsuits over IRS scrutiny[/size]

© Greg Nash

The Department of Justice announced Thursday that it has reached settlements with conservative groups over lawsuits relating to the IRS's scrutiny over the groups' applications for tax-exempt status.
The settlements pertain to two cases, one with 41 plaintiffs and another with 428 plaintiffs. The agreements await approval from federal district court judges.
In 2013, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration released a report finding that the IRS had subjected Tea Party groups' applications for tax-exempt status to extra scrutiny and delays. The revelations prompted the lawsuits as well as congressional investigations.
In one of the settlement documents, the IRS says that its treatment of the plaintiffs was "wrong" and that the agency offered a "sincere apology." The agency said that it is committed to "avoiding any selection and/or further review of tax-exempt applicants or entities that is based solely on the name or policy positions of such entity."
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement that there was "no excuse" for the IRS's conduct.
"Hundreds of organizations were affected by these actions, and they deserve an apology from the IRS," he said. "We hope that today’s settlement makes clear that this abuse of power will not be tolerated.”
Earlier this month, the inspector general released another report that found that there were liberal groups whose applications also faced heightened scrutiny.

http://thehill.com/policy/finance/357298-doj-settles-tea-party-groups-lawsuits-over-irs-scrutiny

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Last edited by rocky on Fri 27 Oct 2017, 5:45 am; edited 1 time in total

by **Rocky** Fri 27 Oct 2017, 5:41 am

Rocky

Rocky: Admin Assist; Posts : 269703
Join date : 2012-12-21

Post n°2

DOJ announces settlement with Tea Party groups

by Rocky Fri 27 Oct 2017, 5:41 am

[size=50]DOJ announces settlement with Tea Party groups[/size]

DOJ settles Tea Party groups' lawsuits over IRS scrutiny Gettyimages-170865096

A Tea Party rally in front of the U.S. Capitol, June 17, 2013.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Thursday that the Justice Department has entered into settlements in two cases involving groups whose tax-exempt status was inappropriately delayed during the 2010 and 2012 elections by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The first case, Linchpins of Liberty v. United States, contains claims brought by 41 plaintiffs, and the second case, NorCal Tea Party Patriots v. Internal Revenue Service, was a class action suit that included 428 members.
In a statement about the settlements, Sessions quoted Chief Justice John Marshall, who had observed that it's undeniable that "the power to tax involves the power to destroy," and Sessions said it should be "without question" that the First Amendment prohibits the federal government from treating groups differently "based solely on their viewpoint or ideology."
Former IRS official Lois Lerner admitted in 2013 that the agency had improperly delayed some conservative groups from obtaining non-profit status simply because their "applications had [Tea Party or Patriots] in the title. That was wrong, that was absolutely incorrect, insensitive."
Because of the criteria used, the IRS placed hundreds of applications under additional scrutiny, and Sessions said, "In many instances, the IRS then requested highly sensitive information from applicants, such as donor information, that was not needed to make a determination of tax-exempt status."
This, Sessions went on to say "was wrong and should never occurred." Tax-exempt status "should be based on the activities of the organization and whether they fulfill requirements of the law, not the policy positions adopted by members or the name chosen to reflect those views."
Though the Justice Department declined to prosecute Lerner for her role in delaying non-profit status for some conservative groups, Sessions condemned the IRS for its treatment of the groups.
"There is no excuse for this conduct," he wrote. "Hundreds of organizations were affected by these actions, and they deserve an apology from the IRS. We hope that today's settlement makes clear that this abuse of power will not be tolerated."
CBS News' Paula Reid contributed to this report.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doj-announces-settlement-with-tea-party-groups/

by **Rocky** Fri 27 Oct 2017, 5:43 am

Rocky

Rocky: Admin Assist; Posts : 269703
Join date : 2012-12-21

Post n°3

Trump DOJ settles lawsuits over Tea Party targeting by Obama IRS

by Rocky Fri 27 Oct 2017, 5:43 am

[size=60]Trump DOJ settles lawsuits over Tea Party targeting by Obama IRS[/size]

DOJ settles lawsuits over Obama-era IRS' Tea Party targeting

Reaction on 'The Story' as President Trump names a new IRS commissioner.
The Trump administration, after years of litigation, has settled lawsuits with Tea Party and other conservative groups who say they were unfairly targeted by the IRS under the Obama administration.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced early Thursday that the Justice Department had entered into settlements with Tea Party groups whose tax-exempt status was significantly delayed by the IRS dating back to 2013, “based solely on their viewpoint or ideology.”
The settlements involve payments to the plaintiffs and an apology from the IRS.
The targeting scandal drew heavy attention in 2013 when the IRS admitted it applied extra scrutiny to conservative groups applying for nonprofit status. Lois Lerner, then head of the Exempt Organizations unit responsible, became the public face of the scandal, though other IRS officials were involved as well.
Sessions said that groups with names involving “Tea Party” or “Patriots,” or those with specific policy positions concerning government spending, were subject to “inappropriate criteria” to “screen” applications.
JUDGE ORDERS IRS TO REVEAL WHO TOOK PART IN TEA PARTY TARGETING
DOJ settles Tea Party groups' lawsuits over IRS scrutiny 1509025368910

DOJ settles Tea Party groups' lawsuits over IRS scrutiny 1509025368910

Former IRS official Lois Lerner said in 2013 that the IRS' practice of applying extra scrutiny to conservative groups 'was wrong.' (AP)
“The IRS’s use of these criteria as a basis for heightened scrutiny was wrong and should never have occurred,” Sessions said in a statement Thursday. “It is improper for the IRS to single out groups for different treatment based on their names or ideological positions.”
While the IRS did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment, court documents show that the agency did offer an apology.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/10/26/trump-doj-settles-lawsuits-over-tea-party-targeting-by-obama-irs.html

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DOJ settles Tea Party groups' lawsuits over IRS scrutiny

DOJ settles Tea Party groups' lawsuits over IRS scrutiny

DOJ announces settlement with Tea Party groups

Trump DOJ settles lawsuits over Tea Party targeting by Obama IRS

DOJ settles lawsuits over Obama-era IRS' Tea Party targeting

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