Congressman Clears White House Of Any Involvement With IRS/Tea Party Scandal

Yesterday, Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings released the full transcript of a five-hour hearing on the IRS's alleged targeting of Tea Party Groups. And – it proves everything Congressman Cummings has been saying all along – the White House was not involved in deciding which groups were required to provide additional information to the IRS before getting tax-exempt status. Congressman Cummings released the 200-page document after charging that House Oversight Committee Chair Darrell Issa has misrepresented the Committee's findings by saying they found evidence of “Washington involvement.” According to the transcript, the only Washington-based IRS officials who reviewed the applications were part of a technical specialty group that was handling the case because it was “high-profile”, and working to ensure the all similar applications were processed in a uniform manner. Chairman Issa released a statement saying he was “deeply disappointed that Ranking Member Cummings has decided to broadly disseminate” the transcript, and says it will “serve as a roadmap for IRS officials to navigate investigative interviews with Congress.” However, his concern did not prevent his office from releasing portions of the transcript that deceptively imply White House involvement. Congressman Darrell Issa has purposely blurred the line between a tech-support group located in Washington, D.C. and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Congressman Elijah Cummings has made a bold attempt to shed light on the situation, but it's doubtful that anything – even the blatant truth – will stop Darrell Issa from pursuing this political witch hunt.