Today at a hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Congressman Mike Turner uncovered through questioning that Cincinnati IRS officials have been contacted by the Department of Justice following the revelation that IRS officials targeted conservative organizations.

Turner’s questioning also revealed that the IRS targeting was not – as the Administration has claimed – the result of two rogue agents in the Cincinnati office. The testimony given to Turner indicated that IRS officials in Washington, D.C. were responsible for organizing the directing the efforts to delay and scrutinize Americans for their political beliefs.

Turner has introduced the Taxpayer Nondiscrimination & Protection Act of 2013. The bill would amend Title 18 of the U.S. Code to make it a crime for an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employee to discriminate against an individual or group on the basis of their protected rights. In addition, it expressly clarifies that political speech and political expression are protected rights. Sen. Marco Rubio has introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

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