At her confirmation hearings Wednesday, Loretta Lynch said she’s only “generally aware” of the Justice Department’s investigation of IRS targeting of conservative groups.
As a service for our likely new attorney general, here’s a primer on why so many in Congress want a special counsel in the IRS case.
Under federal rules, the attorney general appoints a special counsel “when he or she determines that criminal investigation of a person or matter . . . would present a conflict of interest for the Department or other extraordinary circumstances.”
In this case, there’s both.
On May 14, 2013, the Treasury Department’s Inspector General reported that the IRS had “used inappropriate criteria that identified for review Tea Party and other organizations applying for tax-exempt status based upon their names or policy positions.”
Responding to the public outcry, Attorney General Eric Holder announced, “I have ordered an investigation to be begun. The FBI is coordinating with the Justice Department to see if any laws were broken.”
Problem is, Justice had long been interested in IRS investigations of tax-exempt groups.
More at the NY Post
Of course, there would not be such conflicts of interest in the DOJ investigation if Holder did not have a conflict of interest and only assigns other conflicted persons to do (or not do) the investigation.
If there was nothing stinking here, Lerner would not be hiding behind the 5th and someone somewhere would have been punished. Anyone that denies that this is one massive cover up and slap in the face to the American people is either stupid, blind, partisan or all three.