IRS Scandal Gets Still Closer to Obama

You may have missed this yesterday because the Obama-lovin’ snooze media is not particularly interested.  But in House committee hearings, the IRS scandal moved still closer to Obama, to Washington, to one of his two IRS political appointees, the IRS Chief Counsel.  Carter Hull’s testimony was key:

Now comes Mr. Hull's testimony. And like Ms. Hofacre, he pointed his finger upward. Mr. Hull—a 48-year IRS veteran and an expert on tax exemption law—told investigators that tea-party applications under his review were sent upstairs within the Washington office, at the direction of Lois Lerner.

Yep, her again.

In April 2010, Hull was assigned to scrutinize certain tea-party applications. He requested more information from the groups. After he received responses, he felt he knew enough to determine whether the applications should be approved or denied.

But his recommendations were not carried out.

Michael Seto, head of Mr. Hull's unit, also spoke to investigators. He told them Lois Lerner made an unusual decision: Tea-party applications would undergo additional scrutiny—a multilayered review.

Mr. Hull told House investigators that at some point in the winter of 2010-11, Ms. Lerner's senior adviser, whose name is withheld in the publicly released partial interview transcript, told him the applications would require further review:

Q: "Did [the senior adviser to Ms. Lerner] indicate to you whether she agreed with your recommendations?"

A: "She did not say whether she agreed or not. She said it should go to chief counsel."

Q: "The IRS chief counsel?"

A: "The IRS chief counsel."

The IRS chief counsel is named William Wilkins. And again, he is one of only two Obama political appointees in the IRS.

And Hull also said he had not seen anything like that before in his 48-year IRS career.

Peggy Noonan calls the testimony a bombshell and notes that Democrats sure are eager to discredit and discourage the investigation.  And remember that when this scandal broke, the Obama regime would have us believe this was just a few rogue agents in Cincinnati.  Uh, huh.

What we have here is a systematic use of the IRS to attack and muzzle political opponents, directed from Washington, and a cover up of the same.

Again, it is time for a Special Prosecutor.

By the way, if, unlike the snooze media, you really want to dig into the IRS scandal, the Tax Prof blog regularly posts a linkarama.  Here’s today’s edition.