Were the Georgia Tea Party Patriots targeted by the IRS?
Conservative group says letter is ‘hard evidence of the harassment right here in GA!’
The Internal Revenue Service this week has come under fire for its widespread targeting of Tea Party and other conservative groups. One of those organizations might have included the Georgia Tea Party Patriots.
Americans for Prosperity Georgia, a local chapter of the conservative political advocacy organization that’s helped fund Tea Party groups, posted a January 2012 letter to the Georgia Tea Party Patriots on Facebook. The correspondence was reportedly sent by an IRS “exempt organizations specialist” who asked the group to send an exhaustive list of information if it wanted to be considered for requested tax-exempt status. That info included employment records, contract information, and details about its political agenda. In total, the letter lists 28 different inquiries. The AFP-GA says the group ultimately received its exemption.
The conservative organization also said that the document was “hard evidence of the IRS harassment right here in GA!” So far, the group’s Facebook commenters have said the letter is an example of “more proof of Executive Branch harassment” and likened the IRS to the Gestapo.
Check out the full letter from the IRS after the jump: