IRS Accused of Intimidating Tea Party Groups

A conservative civil liberties group alleges that the Internal Revenue Service is trying to “intimidate and silence” a host of tea party groups that have filed for tax-exempt status, reports CNS News.

The American Center for Law and Justice contends that the IRS requested information about the groups, including “probing questions,” in a move that the center says violates the free speech and freedom of association rights preserved under the First Amendment.

“This appears to be a coordinated attempt to intimidate tea party organizations by demanding information that is outside the scope of legitimate inquiry and violates the First Amendment,” said Jay Sekulo, chief counsel for the center.

“These organizations have followed the law and applied for tax exempt status for their activities as Americans have done for decades. The problem here is the IRS has gone beyond legitimate inquiries and is demanding that these organizations answer questions that actually violate the First Amendment rights of our clients.”