The Internal Revenue Service has admitted that it targeted conservative groups, but that doesn’t mean the White House believes the agency.
During his daily press conference on Tuesday, White House press secretary Jay Carney was asked about the President talking about “if” the IRS targeted conservative groups — something for which the IRS has already apologized.
“Those from the IRS who have spoken about this obviously have much greater insight into what took place than we do,” Carney responded. “We have not seen the report. We have not independently collected information about what transpired. We need the independent inspector general’s report to be released before we can make judgments. You know, one person’s view of what actions were taken or what that individual did is not enough for us to say something concretely happened that was inappropriate.”
He added that the President had already said the situation would be “outrageous” if it turned out to be true.
When pressed further about how much the White House knew of the complaints that conservative groups were being singled out, Carney said the administration had heard about the complaints, but was unaware of any actual actions of that type taking place.
During the briefing, Carney was also asked about the Department of Justice grabbing Associated Press phone records, but refused to comment on the issue. He repeatedly said the President supports freedom of the press and acknowledges the need for the media to be “unfettered,” but would not comment any further on AP probe, saying it would be “inappropriate” for the White House to talk about an ongoing investigation.
“I cannot, and he [President Obama] cannot, comment on an ongoing Department of Justice investigation,” he said. “It would be wholly inappropriate.”
Carney again accused Republicans of politicizing the Benghazi attacks, saying they have an “ongoing obsession” with the September ambush that killed four Americans. He said people who compared President Obama to former President Nixon need to “check their history.”
“I can tell you that the people who make those kinds of comparisons need to check their history,” the White House spokesman said. “Because, you know, what we have here with one issue – in Benghazi – is so clearly, as we’re learning more and more, a political sideshow — a deliberate effort to politicize a tragedy.”
