Senator John McCain Releases 37-Page Dissent Disagreeing with Majority PSI Report on IRS Targeting Scandal, Calls for Further Investigation into IRS Targeting Conservative Groups

In response to the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations' (PSI) report on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) targeting scandal, U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), ranking member of PSI, today released a 37-page dissent, entitled IRS Targeting Tea Party Groups, expressing his disagreement with the Majority's interpretation of the evidence, findings of fact, recommendations and conclusions.

"The Majority's interpretation of the evidence fails to capture the extent of the IRS's bias against conservative groups and flagrant abuse of power," Senator McCain said. "Our tax system should not -- and cannot -- be used as a weapon to target political opponents, as the IRS has clearly done, especially when that agency is, at times, tasked with administering laws that involve political free speech. This troubling scandal raises serious concern about the integrity of our nation's tax collectors and requires further investigation as damaging facts continue to come to light."

In his rebuttal, Senator McCain notes that the information gathered to date shows that the IRS frequently and pervasively targeted conservative organizations, especially tea party groups. Further, the IRS largely reviewed liberal groups with a history of engaging in questionable activities, such as the progressive organization ACORN, which was involved in a number of fraudulent transactions assisting tax evasion.

Senator McCain also cites the IRS's significant political bias in its treatment of conservative groups. Emails from Lois Lerner, the former IRS official responsible for the targeting, displayed obvious bias and, given her position and responsibilities, improper animus against conservative groups. In one piece of correspondence, for example, Lerner went so far as referring to conservatives as "a--holes" and terrorists. As evidence of unfair treatment and political bias against conservative groups continues to emerge, Senator McCain notes that key aspects of Lerner's involvement, including many of her missing emails, have yet to be examined.

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