IRS Official On Targeting Of Conservative Groups: ‘It Is Not Illegal, But It Was Inappropriate’

During a hearing before the House Ways & Means Committee on Friday regarding the news that the Internal Revenue Service had singled out conservative groups for undue scrutiny, one official with the Treasury Department clarified whether the IRS views that behavior as being illegal. During the hearing, Treasury Department Inspector General for Tax Administration J. Russell George said that the IRS regards that behavior as “inappropriate,” but “it is not illegal.”

Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) began his line of questioning by confirming that he found the allegations that the IRS had targeted conservative groups “outrageous and intolerable.”

Thompson asked George and if his assertion, that the IRS had used “inappropriate criteria” to determine which groups would receive added scrutiny, constituted illegal behavior by the agency.

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“Is it legal?” George repeated. “It is not illegal, sir, but it was unusual.”

Thompson read from George’s testimony, in which he claimed that these inappropriate criteria was developed and maintained for more than 18 months. “Was that illegal?” Thompson asked.

“It is not illegal, but it was inappropriate,” George said.

Watch the clip below via C-SPAN 2:

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