Cicilline Calls for Investigation Into IRS in Wake of Allegations
Monday, May 13, 2013
U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline responded on Monday to published reports that the Internal Revenue Service may have applied additional scrutiny to conservative advocacy organizations and limited government proponents.
“Among the core principles of our democracy,” said Cicilline, “is the idea that the government exists to help all its citizens, regardless of their political beliefs. I am outraged to learn that certain members of the IRS may have engaged in a concerted effort to apply political pressure on citizens who were seeking to exercise their First Amendment rights to petition the government. I am confident that President Obama will work to get to the bottom of this and ensure that all those responsible for wrongdoing are held fully accountable, and I urge him to begin this review immediately.”
IRS officials apologized Monday for the added scrutiny towards Tea Party and “patriot” groups that has left Republicans on Capital Hill searching for answers.
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Douglas Shulman, the commissioner of the IRS, told investigators in March 2011 that particular political groups were not being targeted. New information, however, hints that some high-ranking IRS employees may have been aware of the misconduct that allegedly began as early as 2010.
President Obama and others have launched a concerted effort to determine the accuracy of these rumors and bring those responsible to justice.
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