Victims of the IRS

In the GOP's ongoing waste of taxpayers time and money, they dug up some aggrieved Tea Party organizers to testify about their alleged victimization by the IRS. Dianne Belsom, president of the Laurens County Tea Party in South Carolina declares this persecution by paperwork is simply unacceptable. Also so very unnecessary because:

"I'd like to note that our group is a small-time operation with very little money and this represents a complete waste of time by the IRS in terms of any money they would collect if we were not tax-exempt," Belsom said.

If the amount is that small one wonders why they bothered to go for such a complicated tax exempt status. Probably be easier for them to just pay the miniscule tax. Or perhaps apply for a simpler non-profit designation. And again, the bigger question, is does this group deserve a "social welfare" status to begin with. A look at the Laurens County Tea Party accomplishment page suggests the answer is no way. Their accomplishments were mainly in hosting Republican politicians for speaking enagagements and promoting local GOP candidates.

Steve M. has much more on Laurens County Tea Party's activities, the majority of which are purely political and advancing the most far out of crackpot conspiracy theories. Thus unqualified for the tax status they seek. I'd add all of the witnesses appear to be party to a lawsuit versus the IRS as well.

These people aren't victims of discrimination. They're attention seekers at best and pure grifters at worst. The bigger scandal remains that the GOP is relentlessly wasting their taxpayer funded resources on fishing for ammo to be used purely for partisan gain.