How the IRS Became a Weapon Against American Citizens

In 2013, the IRS was forced to admit it had deliberately targeted conservative organizations with names like "Tea Party," "Patriot," and "9/12" for harassment and delays while they applied for tax-exempt status. Was this just one rogue operation, or part of a much longer pattern of the IRS being weaponized against political enemies?
This episode explores the creation of the IRS, its vast and invasive powers, and the repeated accusations of political abuse across multiple administrations. From Franklin Roosevelt’s use of the agency against critics, to Richard Nixon’s enemies list, through Barack Obama’s era and beyond, the IRS has faced credible claims that it has been turned into a tool to punish and intimidate opponents — especially those on the right.
We examine the Tea Party targeting scandal in detail, the central role of Lois Lerner, the congressional investigations that followed, and the fundamental question of whether any government agency in a free society should hold this kind of unchecked power over citizens’ finances, speech, and organizations.
When one agency can delay applications for years, audit critics, investigate, and seize assets, the real issue is accountability. Who watches the watchers?
Watch and decide for yourself.
Forgotten History is a 10th Legion Pictures Production.
Written and hosted by Colin D. Heaton. Forgotten History is a 10th Legion Pictures Production.
This video is for educational and commentary purposes. All information is presented based on publicly available sources. Allegations, claims, and historical accounts are included for informational context, and viewers are encouraged to conduct their own research.
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About us: Host/Military Historian/Film Consultant/US Army and USMC Veteran - Colin Heaton
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Sources:
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration
House Oversight Committee — “Lois Lerner’s Role in IRS Targeting”
House Oversight Committee Memorandum — IRS targeting timeline, May 17, 2013
Senate Finance Committee — “Timeline of Key Events Surrounding IRS Targeting of Conservative Groups”
Joint Committee on Taxation — “Report of Investigation of Allegations Relating to Internal Revenue Service Handling of Tax-Exempt Organization Matters,” 2000
Senate Finance Committee statement by Chairman William Roth on JCT investigation, 2000
Associated Press
Reuters — “Factbox: IRS’s rich history of scandals, political abuse,” May 17, 2013
BC News — “IRS Has Long History of Political Dirty Tricks,” May 15, 2013
Christian Science Monitor — “Playing the IRS card: Six presidents who used the IRS to bash political foes,” 2013
Time — “IRS Scandal Echoes a Long History of Political Harassment,” May 14, 2013
Axios — “John Kelly says Trump wanted to ‘get the IRS on’ James Comey,” Nov. 14, 2022
Wall Street Journal — “IRS Audits That Included Comey, McCabe Were Random Selections, Report Finds,” Dec. 1, 2022
John A. Andrew III, Power to Destroy: The Political Uses of the IRS from Kennedy to Nixon
David Burnham, A Law Unto Itself: Power, Politics, and the IRS
David Burnham, “Misuse of the I.R.S.: The Abuse of Power,” The New York Times Magazine
Burton W. Folsom Jr., New Deal or Raw Deal?
The Hill

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