President Obama believes a report released by the IRS Monday afternoon is an “important step in ensuring accountability,” according to a statement from the White House.
Obama has been briefed on the report, which reveals that the IRS screened applications for tax-exempt status using the terms “Progressive,” “Occupy” and “Israel” in addition to “tea party.”
“The President appreciates the effort put into reviewing operations within the IRS, and most importantly, making sure that agency moves quickly to restore the public’s trust,” the statement reads.
The President believes Principal Deputy Commissioner Werfel’s report is an important step in ensuring accountability for any staff that acted inappropriately, identifies the failures in their systems that allowed the misconduct to happen, and takes a forward-looking systemic view at the agency’s management. The Administration is committed to making sure the IRS continues to reform itself with the goals of providing the highest quality service and reflecting the principles of fairness and neutrality.
