WASHINGTON (AP) — The former Internal Revenue Service official at the heart of the agency’s tea party scandal once again refused to answer questions at a congressional hearing Wednesday that quickly devolved into political bickering between Democrats and Republicans.

Lois Lerner headed the IRS division that improperly targeted tea party and other conservative groups for extra scrutiny when they applied for tax-exempt status during the 2010 and 2012 elections. She was the first IRS official to publicly disclose the targeting, issuing an apology on behalf of the agency at a law conference in May 2013.

Recommended Stories

DOJ charges 63 people with voting-related crimes day before midterm elections

Jewish voters put in spotlight in Michigan Senate race after Stevens and el Sayed feud

Talarico says he’d work with Trump to fulfill ‘promise’ of MAGA: ‘There’s still time’