Senator Flake: Resignation of IRS Acting Commissioner Only a First Step Toward Eliminating Dangerous Partisan Targeting
Legislation Must be Put in Place to Prevent Practice Going Forward
Posted on May 15 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ), today issued the following statement on President Obama’s announcement this evening that Treasury Secretary Jack Lew accepted the resignation of Acting Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Steven Miller in the wake of the IRS’ admission that the bureau targeted conservative-leaning groups during the 2012 election cycle to examine their efforts in compliance with the IRS determination of a tax-exempt organizatio
“This resignation is only the first step in preventing these dangerous practices by the IRS and making sure that no government entity engages in this kind of partisan targeting,” said Flake. “The Administration and Congress must cut this practice off at its roots by preventing this discriminatory practice from ever occurring going forward.”
“This resignation is only the first step in preventing these dangerous practices by the IRS and making sure that no government entity engages in this kind of partisan targeting,” said Flake. “The Administration and Congress must cut this practice off at its roots by preventing this discriminatory practice from ever occurring going forward.”
Earlier this week, Senator Flake introduced S. 937, the Protect Against Ideology-Based Targeting Act as a direct response to the IRS scandal. The Protect Against Ideology-Based Targeting Act would prohibit the IRS from developing discriminatory methodologies for organizations under or applying for 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) status due to the ideologies expressed in the organizations’ names or purposes and require the semi-annual report to Congress from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to include information about complaints of ideology-based targeting.
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