NEW YORK, May 25 (UPI) -- The Internal Revenue Service unit that focused on conservative groups scrutinized other non-profits over the years, current and former IRS employees said.
Sources told The Wall Street Journal the IRS unit based in Cincinnati was known for its aggressive investigative tactics, which blocked some groups from gaining tax-exempt status they did not deserve, but also subjected deserving applicants to long delays.
The current flap over IRS reviews of applications for non-profit status revolves around Tea Party groups that sprouted up after President Barack Obama's election in 2008. Citing sources it did not name, the Journal reported the Cincinnati reviewers had placed similar scrutiny on other organizations, including a surge of credit-counseling organizations formed during the recent foreclosure crisis.
One IRS manager said because many such groups were similar in their organization and mission, it made sense to investigate them as a group.
