The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee announced Wednesday it has scheduled the second of what is expected to be bevy of congressional hearings on the IRS scandal.
A key witness at the Wednesday hearing will be J. Russell George, the Treasury Department’s inspector general for tax administration, who oversaw a year-long audit of the Internal Revenue Service that revealed the agency used “inappropriate criteria” while targeting conservative and tea party groups that were applying for tax-exempt status during the 2012 election season.
The report, released Tuesday, showed the IRS reviewed every single application that used “tea party,” “patriot” or “9/12” in their names. Even as they were scrutinizing those groups, the IRS ignored other applications that should have raised flags, the inspector general auditors said.
Also testifying will be Treasury Deputy Secretary Neal S. Wolin, Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt groups, and former IRS commissioner Douglas Shulman, who stepped down after the November elections.
“The IG report indicts IRS for a colossal management failure, but leaves many questions unanswered,” said committee Chairman Darrell Issa, California Republican.
Mr. Russell also will testify Friday at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the IRS matter, along with Acting IRS Commissioner Steve Miller.
The Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Homeland Security investigations subcommittee also expected to hold hearings on scandal.
