IRS Official Who Oversaw Targeting of Pro-Life Groups Resigns

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Sep 23, 2013   |   3:27PM   |   Washington, DC

The IRS official who oversaw the targeting of pro-life and conservative groups has resigned. Lois Lerner, the Internal Revenue Service’s director of exempt organizations, was placed on administrative leave this summer.

Now, she has stepped down — though pro-life advocates and conservatives called on the IRS to fire her. According to the Washington Post, the Accountability Review Board was set to suggest Lerner’s removal, per congressional sources.

Lois Lerner headed the IRS division that handles applications for tax-exempt status when she was placed on paid leave in May. While she was in charge, the agency acknowledged that agents improperly targeted tea party groups for extra scrutiny when they applied for tax-exempt status from 2010 to 2012.

Lerner first disclosed the targeting at a law conference in May, when she was asked a planted question about IRS treatment of political groups. Less than two weeks later, she refused to answer questions at a congressional hearing, citing her constitutional right not to incriminate herself.

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Orrin Hatch responded to the firing, saying: “Just because Lois Lerner is retiring from the IRS does not mean the investigation is over.  Far from it.  In fact, there are many serious unanswered questions that must be addressed so we can get to the truth.”

Despite claims by the Obama Administration that the harassment has ceased, one pro-life legal group says IRS targeting continues.

With the scandal concerning the IRS and its targeting of pro-life and conservative groups growing, national conservative activists held nationwide rallies this summer at IRS offices across the country.

Reports indicate President Barack Obama’s top attorney knew in April that the Internal Revenue Service was targeting pro-life and conservative groups. The reports show Obama’s top lawyer was notified in April that the Treasury Department’s inspector general had finished an audit of the IRS over the allegations.

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The news comes as a report shows James Dobson, the pro-life family advocate, disclosed that he was a victim of IRS discrimination because he spoke out against pro-abortion President Barack Obama.

Obama addressed the massive IRS scandal and promised it would never happen again.

“I’ll do everything in my power to make sure this never happens again,” he promised.

In one case LifeNews has profiled, a pro-life group was told it had to promote abortion. A top pro-life legal group also informed LifeNews that cases it handled support mounting accusations that demonstrate the agency’s abuse of pro-life organizations.