Politico finds systematic bias in IRS evaluation of liberal and conservative organizations

Politico found just two examples of liberal organizations — Emerge America and Progress Texas —  that underwent stiffer scrutiny.  One of them got turned down (Emerge America) and the other was approved (Progress Texas), but the one that got turned down was set up "primarily for the benefit of a political party."  If liberal groups are being given preferential treatment, it isn't too surprising to find that one group would push the boundary so far that they would cross even what the Obama administration was willing to accept.  It surely doesn't explain why hundreds of conservative groups were delayed for years.

. . . POLITICO surveyed the liberal groups from an IRS list of advocacy organizations that were approved after the tougher examinations started. The review found some examples of liberal groups facing scrutiny similar to their conservative counterparts — they were asked for copies of web pages, actions alerts, and written materials from all of their events. 

But those harsh investigations were more rare than what POLITICO had found when it surveyed conservative groups at the beginning of the scandal. And the questions themselves appear less invasive, overall. 

So while liberals have some reason to complain about the IRS, the disparity in treatment does help explain why the conservative piece became a runaway story while the liberal side did not. . . .