Republicans call for removal of Obama supporter leading IRS targeting probe

Published January 09, 2014

FoxNews.com

A woman walks out of the Internal Revenue Service building in New York, May 13, 2013.(Reuters)

Republicans claim the Justice Department's investigation of the IRS targeting scandal is "compromised," after revealing that it's being led by one of President Obama's political supporters. 

In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, the lawmakers said they've learned trial attorney Barbara Kay Bosserman is leading the probe. They detailed federal campaign finance records showing she's given more than $6,000 to Obama's two presidential campaigns -- and urged Holder to remove her from the case. 
"By selecting a significant donor to President Obama to lead an investigation into inappropriate targeting of conservative groups, the Department has created a startling conflict of interest,"  Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, wrote in the letter. "It is unbelievable that the Department would choose such an individual to examine the federal government's systematic targeting and harassment of organizations opposed to the President's policies. 
"At the very least, Ms. Bosserman's involvement is highly inappropriate and has compromised the Administration's investigation of the IRS." 
The letter comes amid questions over the status of the criminal case, which has not yet produced any public results. 
It has dragged on for months, ever since the IRS last May first acknowledged that it had slow-walked the applications of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status.
On Thursday, the Department of Justice responded to the allegations, saying in a statement that it was against department policy and “a prohibited personnel practice under federal law to consider the political affiliation of career employees or other non-merit factors in making personnel decisions. “
“Additionally, removing a career employee from an investigation or case due to political affiliation, as Chairmen Issa and Jordan have requested, could also violate the equal opportunity policy and the law.”

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