Glenn Beck To The AP: ‘Nice To See Everyone Else Playing Catch-Up’ On IRS Story His Site Broke In 2012
As the scandal surrounding the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of conservative groups grows, conservative radio host Glenn Beck is not missing out on an opportunity for a well-deserved “I told you so.” On Monday, the Associated Press published a story revealing that senior officials in the IRS were aware that the agency was singling out conservative groups for added scrutiny as early as 2011. In a statement released to the Associated Press, Beck said that he welcomed the mainstream press catching up to a story that his organization was reporting on more than one year ago.
Beck told the AP in a statement that he was aware of the targeting of conservative groups by the IRS because his website detailed that targeting in February, 2012.
“The 9/12 Project is a group started by conservative TV personality Glenn Beck,” the AP exclusive reads. “In a statement to the AP, Beck suggested that the revelations were hardly news to him and other conservatives.”
“In February 2012, TheBlaze first reported what the IRS now admits to — that they unfairly targeted conservative groups including the 9/12 project,” Beck said, citing his website and TV network. “It is nice to see everyone else playing catch-up and finally asking the same questions that TheBlaze started raising over a year ago.”
On February 14, 2012, The Blaze reported that President Barack Obama’s 2009 joke, in which he mockingly threatened his political opponents with tax audits during a commencement speech at Arizona State University, may have had a grain of truth to it.
The Blaze detailed how one conservative group seeking tax-exempt status was targeted by the IRS to fulfill onerous information requests that that were unlikely to ever be accomplished.
This is not an isolated incident either. The timing of the IRS demands also makes you wonder about their intent. Tea Party groups across the country have written to us sharing similar information. One Texas group filed their application for non-profit status in late 2007, but only received the information demand letter last month. As stated above, the Ohio Liberty Council submitted paperwork over 18 months ago, their demand was received at the end of January. Florida groups (who we have spoken with, but have requested anonymity) report similar experiences.
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