IRS Also Targeted Terms ‘Israel,’ ‘Progressive’ And ‘Occupy’

Conservative groups were not the only ones being targeted by the IRS, the Associated Press has discovered.

An internal IRS document obtained by The Associated Press said that besides ‘‘tea party,’’ lists used by screeners to pick groups for close examination also included the terms ‘‘Israel,’’ ‘’Progressive’’ and ‘‘Occupy.’’ The document said an investigation into why specific terms were included was still underway.

In a conference call with reporters, Danny Werfel said that after becoming acting IRS chief last month, he discovered wide-ranging and improper terms on the lists and said screeners were still using them. He did not specify what terms were on the lists, but said he suspended the use of all such lists immediately.

‘‘There was a wide-ranging set of categories and cases that spanned a broad spectrum’’ on the lists, Werfel said. He added that his aides found those lists contained ‘‘inappropriate criteria that was in use.’’

By: Cheston Catalano

Cheston Catalano is a Kentucky-based journalist whose work has been featured in the Chattanooga Times Free Press and the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle. He is a long-time contributor to Liberaland.