After the Senate Finance Committee’s release of a bipartisan report on an investigation into the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) treatment of organizations applying for tax-exempt status, U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) released a statement on Thursday to express his disappointment with the probe’s results.
The report, released by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT), showed mismanagement throughout the IRS and found evidence that the administration’s political agenda influenced the agency’s abusive treatment of individuals and organizations applying for tax-exempt status.
“The Internal Revenue Service has seriously damaged the trust of the American people, as evidenced by the Finance Committee’s bipartisan report,” Burr said. “Personal politics of IRS employees, including (former IRS official) Lois Lerner, have no place in government. I’m thankful the Finance Committee was able to compile the facts so that we can work on reforms that will prevent Americans from being targeted for their political beliefs.”
“This bipartisan investigation shows gross mismanagement at the highest levels of the IRS and confirms an unacceptable truth: that the IRS is prone to abuse,” Hatch said. “The committee found evidence that the administration’s political agenda guided the IRS’ actions with respect to their treatment of conservative groups. Personal politics of IRS employees, such as Lois Lerner, also impacted how the IRS conducted its business. American taxpayers should expect more from the IRS and deserve an IRS that lives up to its mission statement of administering the tax laws fairly and impartially – regardless of political affiliation. Moving forward, it is my hope we can use this bipartisan report as a foundation to work toward substantial reforms at the agency so that this never happens again. ”