IRS Ordered to Put Up and Shut Up

Judge To IRS: Start Naming Names

Think the IRS targeting scandal had dissipated? So did the IRS, but it got a very unpleasant surprise on Thursday in federal court. Judge Reggie Walton ordered the agency to start identifying the employees who took part in the targeting of conservative non-profit groups and to provide specific explanation for the delays in approval of that status for dozens of them. “Why hide the ball?” Judge Walton asked (via TaxProfBlog):

A federal judge on Thursday ordered the IRS to name the specific employees the agency blames for targeting tea party groups for intrusive scrutiny and said the government must prove it has ceased the targeting.
Judge Reggie B. Walton also said the IRS must explain the reasons for the delays for 38 groups that are part of a lawsuit in the District of Columbia, where they are still looking for a full accounting of their treatment.
Judge Walton approved another round of limited discovery in the case and laid out six questions that the IRS must answer, including the employees’ names, why the groups were targeted and how the IRS has tried to prevent a repeat.

The IRS had hoped to close off demands for more discovery, arguing that too much time had elapsed and that there were no indications that further searches would be fruitful. In short, they argued that the plaintiffs in the lawsuit were merely on a fishing expedition. “The United States should not be held to respond to far-reaching inquiries,” the Department of Justice argued.

One wonders why Trump hasn't gone after the IRS. Are they holding his tax returns hostage?