Becky Gerritson and representatives from conservative groups / AP
Members of Congress investigating the Internal Revenue Service for targeting conservative political groups said a Tuesday hearing helped to put a human face on what they claim is a flagrant abuse of the agency’s power.
The hearing, held by the House Ways and Means Committee, featured six individuals who were members of groups that claimed to have been improperly singled out for scrutiny by the IRS due to their conservative political leanings.
“To hear their stories first hand and what it meant to them and the country was very powerful,” Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R., Mich.) told reporters afterward.
“It was important, I think, to hear personally from people who were affected and not just have a transcript of them, to actually hear what they had to say,” Camp said. “I thought their voices were strong.”
The hearing became emotional at times as witnesses expressed shock and outrage that the federal government would discriminate against them based on their opinions.
“I am not interested in scoring political points,” Becky Gerritson, president of the Wetumpka, Ala., Tea Party told the committee as she tried to hold back tears.
