Report: Tax Records Of Political Candidates And Donors “Improperly Scrutinized”

This morning, The Washington Times is reporting what could be another huge headache for the already scandal-ridden IRS.

According to Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, Treasury Department investigators found four instances “in which unidentified government officials took part in ‘unauthorized access or disclosure of tax records of political donors or candidates…’”

Of those four cases, TIGTA Inspector General J. Russell George described one as “willful.”

Grassley has started asking why no cases were prosecuted by the Justice Department and has given Attorney General Eric Holder 10 days to respond to his questions.

“‘The Justice Department should answer completely and not hide behind taxpayer confidentiality laws to avoid accountability for its decision not to prosecute a violation of taxpayer confidentiality laws,’ Mr. Grassley told The Times. ‘With the IRS on the hot seat over targeting certain political groups, it’s particularly troubling to learn about ‘willful unauthorized access’ of tax records involving individuals who were candidates for office or political donors. The public needs to know whether the decision not to prosecute these violations was politically motivated and whether the individuals responsible were held accountable in any other way.’”

According to the Times, George did not detail the political affiliation of either the candidates or donors. Regardless, this behavior is further proof that the IRS is in need of real reform and oversight.

Since the scandals at the agency broke, the House Republican majority has led the way with strong oversight and investigations into the agency’s actions, including targeting conservative groups, wasteful spending on conferences, and the millions paid in employee bonuses.

We cannot let up now. Help us retain a strong Republican House that will continue to find answers.