Internal Revenue Service Director Lois Lerner fired the original shots against Cincinnati IRS officials, and now employees from the Ohio office are shooting back.
Elizabeth Hofacre, who coordinated “emerging issues” for the agency from April to August 2010, handled all tea-party applications. But according to a transcript of her testimony obtained by National Review Online, Hofacre told investigators from the House Oversight Committee Lerner’s allegations against the Cincinnati employees were a “nuclear strike” on them.
Hofacre said it was the agency’s top brass — including Lerner — who have misled the public in believing it was agents from the Cincinnati office responsible for the IRS scandal.
“Everybody that has been making those statements should know they are inaccurate,” Hofacre said, according to NRO.
After responding to a planted question at the American Bar Association conference — where Lerner first revealed discrimination against conservative groups — the IRS director told the audience it was rogue Cincinnati IRS employees who targeted and handled the applications from Tea Party groups.
“I was furious,” Hofacre told Congressional investigations upon hearing Lerner’s statements.
Not long after the director’s statements, Hofacre said, her boss called to apologize on Lerner’s behalf.
Despite several IRS officials — including Inspector General J. Russell George — alleging it was Cincinnati employees who led the charge against Tea Party groups, Hofacre said agency managers from both the Cincinnati and Washington, D.C., offices maintain a tight grip on cases moving through the system.
“These two rogue agents running amok for three years, even for three months, it would never happen,” she said.
Despite countless hearings on Capitol Hill, the nation’s leaders plan to continue investigations into the IRS’ targeting of conservative groups.
“I think there’s more work to be done,” Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) told Politico. “I think that both Elijah [Cummings (D-Md.)]and I both believe that. … I don’t think anybody thinks it’s over.”
