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Hans Von Spakovsky on whether the Obama administration is using the IRS to silence its opposition
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Now with behind them on this but cost heat.
Senior -- a fellow at The Heritage Foundation which is a conservative think tank I don't know last name.
You did great.
Things -- -- coming on -- this year and very interesting story that you bring to our attention today.
About I know what the current White House administration is doing to -- go after -- -- some people they might not agree with via the Internal Revenue Service can you explain this to us.
Sure that the two main things -- and all these that Tea Party groups almost a media that applied for nonprofit status which they're supposed to get.
They've been waiting for years and suddenly the last month or so.
They've gotten these very intrusive letters from the IRS asking for all kinds of information that the iris is not entitled to.
And it -- give you one example I saw the question on on in one of the letters.
They wanted to know what issues were important to this organization and what was there.
Stands on those issues now.
What their particular view is that something like obamacare that is totally irrelevant yet -- to whether or not they should be a non profit and it's hard to read these letters still lie if you.
Not so you supposed to know us.
What that -- well.
I have seen I have seen copies of the letters and when you include all the sub parts a -- counted -- -- Seventy questions asking for all kinds of data and documents and web pages all kinds of things that really.
Are irrelevant.
To whether or not they should get that that the nonprofit status gray and -- that happening would you say.
Well your opinion.
Well you know it's funny there aren't any organizations on the left side of the political aisle they have gotten similar letters like this it appears to be only.
Conservative organizations particularly Tea Party organizations that makes it hard.
Believe that it's not politically motivated to give a hard time to the groups that have been.
You know questioning the president pretty strongly on things like obamacare -- -- am really it's fascinating it reminds me of Richard Nixon.
Well well it does and FDR before him not now the other thing that's happened is and this is.
Even more serious is that the National Organization for Marriage.
And then discovered -- that.
One of their confidential.
Tax return documents.
Had been put up on the -- side of the Human Rights Campaign.
And when they got a computer expert to look at this document they were able to take off some of the layers.
That have been obscured and they discovered that it had the IRS.
Intake stamps on it which means that either the Human Rights Campaign.
A crack to the IRS's web site or.
Someone at the IRS to -- this confidential document to the Human Rights Campaign -- and that is.
It that is a felony.
Under federal law -- not just for the IRS employee that did it but.
It's also a felony for the human rights campaign to publish.
The document that was illegally obtained from the IRS so what happens now.
Well that what -- well -- has asked the inspector general.
And the Justice Department attacks division.
To investigate this it I'm not clear on whether or not those agencies have opened up investigation to take a look at this it's very very serious.
Problem it seems so I mean.
-- fit.
So well and let this let -- that this.
-- -- -- -- -- -- well you should be and look.
This this happened at the very time remembers that National Organization for Marriage is it is is against gay marriage.
And all of this happens at the very same time that the president comes out.
Says he's in favor of gay marriage is at the same time that the administration.
Told congress that they quarter -- not going to defend -- -- defense of marriage act so.
This seems to be an attack again on a political opponent.
The administration.
