U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin's name brought into the mix during IRS hearing

During questioning by the U.S. House Ways & Means Committee, U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill) asked ex IRS chief Steve Miler about letters written to the IRS by various U.S. Senators — including Dick Durbin. The letter asked about bringing further scrutiny to conservative groups.

Media coverage in 2010 indicates that Durbin had sent a letter asking about Karl Rove’s Crossroads group and whether it was really a not for profit.

Click here to read: http://www.durbin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=833d8f1e-…

“I think the letter speaks for itself,” said Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam (R-Ill). “So the question is, did the Internal Revenue Service respond to that? Did they feel pressure from leading Democrats to do that? They were not forthcoming about that today.”

Durbin’s office, meanwhile, issued the following statement:

“Recent reports of IRS employees improperly targeting organizations based on their politics is inappropriate and those responsible must be held to account. The Citizen’s United decision created a rush for organizations seeking tax exempt status because it allows groups to raise unlimited money while keeping their donors secret,” Durbin spokesman Max Gleischman said. “To qualify for this special status, an organization’s primary function cannot be campaigning. The IRS is right to determine the primary function of these groups, but that determination process must be applied rigorously to all applicants – not for some – and not be based on a group’s political leanings.”