Rep. David Reichert said he is not surprised at the Internal Revenue Service scandal after having fielded complaints for two years, and asked who in the administration is going to be hauled off to prison for targeting conservative groups.
"In 2011, we started to become aware; members of Congress began to get complaints about conservative groups being targeted,'' Reichert told "The Steve Malzberg Show'' on Newsmax TV.
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"They were complaining that their applications for tax-exempt status were not being processed. The IRS was seeking information on some of their donors, especially on the conservative-leaning organizations," Reichert said.
Reichert, who is chairman of the House Ways and Means subcommittee on human resources, said the panel was stonewalled by IRS officials with knowledge of the practice.
"The Ways and Means Committee sent a letter to the IRS asking for information … Are you targeting these individuals? Why are they not being granted their tax exempt status? Are you seeking additional information from donors?'' he said.
"They denied any practice of targeting conservatives. It now appears, of course, that the IRS has engaged in a consistent and systematic pattern of, let’s use the word, ‘misleading’ the Ways and Means Committee and Congress.''
The committee has kicked off an in-depth probe of the IRS policy.
"We have so many questions. Who else knew? And when did the commissioner know? … We’re looking at a couple of employees. We need to take a look at what laws apply here. Whose civil rights, if any, were violated,'' Reichert said.
"I agree with the speaker [John Boehner] when he said dismissing Miller is a good step, but who’s going to jail?''
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