By Arnold Ahlert ——Bio and Archives--July 23, 2013
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It was my understanding that the applications assigned to me would be 'test cases' to provide guidance for those other applications. I was also told by my supervisor that I was to coordinate the review of the tea party applications that were assigned to Elizabeth Hofacre in CincinnatiHe further noted that his micromanaging of Hofacre's work was not of his own doing. He too was given orders from higher ups, who told him to forward documents to Lois Lerner's advisor. Subsequently, he was told to send them to the Office of Chief Counsel for review. Hull also cited an August 2011 meeting where he was told by a member of the Office that the Tea Party applicants he was dealing with would have to supply the IRS with additional information, and that a second letter should be sent to those organizations making that request. Hull noted that after he received the second responses, he felt he could make a determination about whether applications should be confirmed or denied. His recommendations were apparently ignored. Michael Seto, head of Hull's IRS unit, told investigators that Lerner made the "unusual" decision to subject Tea Party applications to a multi-layered review. Hull testified that no one specifically told him to hold up tea party applications, but contended that a multi-layer review of such applications was "unusual." He also confirmed that in another meeting with the Office, he was informed the applications were no longer under his control, and would again be forwarded for "further review." Hull characterized that move as "rare." Yet the most damning part of Hull's testimony was about a directive from Lois Lerner's senior advisor, whose name was withheld in the partially released transcript of the hearings. Hull said the advisor told him the applications would require further review and that "it should go to the chief counsel." When Hull was asked if he meant the IRS chief counsel, he answered in the affirmative. "The IRS Chief Counsel," he replied. That bombshell testimony fired up Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice. They represent more than 40 Tea Party plaintiffs suing the IRS. "This is one of the most extremely disturbing revelations yet," he said. "It is now clear that the IRS Chief Counsel, appointed by President Obama in 2009, was involved in examining and reviewing applications from Tea Party groups--many that were basically shut out of the 2010 election process because of delays in handling of their applications. This development raises significant questions about what the White House knew and when." That particular aspect of the case took an intriguing turn yesterday, when it was revealed that Wilkins met with Obama in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on April 23, 2012. On April 24, Wilkins' boss, former commissioner Douglas Shulman, saw the president at the White House. On April 25, Wilkins sent the EO determinations unit "additional comments on the draft guidance" for approving or denying the tax-exempt applications submitted by Tea Party organizations, according to the IG's report. It should be further noted that William Wilkins, a staunch Obama supporter, once worked as a lobbyist for WilmerHale, where he spent his time "counseling nonprofit organizations, business entities, and investment funds on tax compliance, business transactions, and government investigations." In 2008, he led the defense of Chicago Reverend Jeremiah Wright's United Church of Christ, which was being investigated by the IRS for violating its own tax-exempt status, due to its political involvement with Obama. "We were so interested in the case we offered to do it pro bono," Mr. Wilkins told The American Lawyer at the time. Unsurprisingly, Democrats tried once again Thursday to make the argument that liberal groups were equally scrutinized by the IRS, claiming that Inspector General J. Russell George was suppressing details about non-Tea Party groups being targeted. George defused that notion, reminding Democrats that the IRS itself both acknowledged and apologized for the targeting of conservative groups before his report was released. He noted that since his report was released, information regarding BOLO (Be On the Look Out) lists with liberal buzz words attached to them have surfaced, but he did not get them until last week. He blamed the delay on the IRS. As of now nothing has emerged, but George assured Committee members the IG investigation would continue. What is the likelihood that liberal groups received equal scrutiny? Townhall's Guy Benson makes a solid point in that regard. "If, as Democrats suggest, the targeting impacted both sides and this is all a big non-scandal, where is the 'progressive-assigned' version of Elizabeth Hofacre?" he asks. "That is to say, where is the IRS employee tasked with screening dozens of targeted liberal organizations whose superiors wouldn't permit any resolutions for months (and ultimately years) on end? If such an employee exists, don't you think we'd have heard about him or her by now?"
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Arnold Ahlert was an op-ed columist with the NY Post for eight years.