IRS had 'secret research project' on conservatives
The government watchdog group Judicial Watch has unearthed more bombshells in the IRS scandal, using the federal court system to get information Congress has been unable to obtain directly from the tax agency or the Justice Department.
The just-released emails reveal the IRS had a “secret research project” using lists of donors to mostly conservative organizations that an agency attorney appeared to admit it never should have had in its possession.
An email just revealed by Judicial Watch from Deputy Associate Chief Counsel Margo L. Stevens to Lerner had instructed her on May 21, 2012, that “such information was not needed across-the-board and not used in making the agency’s determination on exempt status,” implying the information should never have been in Lerner’s possession, in her capacity as head of the IRS’ tax-exempt division.
Judicial Watch said key parts of that email and other...
