IRS Also Screened for 'Israel,' 'Progressive,' 'Occupy'

New chief admits screening was broader, longer than previously thought
By Ruth Brown,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 24, 2013 3:56 PM CDT
Updated Jun 24, 2013 6:03 PM CDT
IRS Chief: Screening Went Bigger Than the Tea Party
Acting IRS commissioner Danny Werfel testifies on Capitol Hill.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Tea Party groups weren't the only ones targeted by the IRS. Documents obtained by Bloomberg reveal the agency also used terms such as "Israel," "progressive," and "occupy" when applying extra scrutiny to groups seeking tax-exempt status. New agency chief Danny Werfel earlier confirmed that there were more "be on the lookout" lists than just the already known Tea Party-related ones—and that some lists were still being used as recently as last month— but did not disclose what words featured on those lists, the AP reports.

"There was a wide-ranging set of categories and cases that spanned a broad spectrum" on the lists, Werfel says. He says he will officially release more information soon, once the lists have been censored to protect groups' privacy, NPR reports. However, Werfel still maintains that no evidence of "intentional wrongdoing" has been found. "I'm not providing a definitive conclusion that no intentional wrongdoing occurred," he clarified. "What I'm suggesting is that based on the ongoing review to date, no evidence has yet surfaced." (More IRS stories.)

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