IRS Frustrates Friends and Foes With Secretive Ways

Kill it with fire

WASHINGTON—After admitting it targeted Tea Party groups for additional scrutiny in May, the Internal Revenue Service has been called on to explain its formerly obscure process for policing political activity by tax-exempt groups.

And, by almost all accounts, it's not doing a very good job.

Last week, the non-profit publisher Tax Analysts filed suit against the IRS under the Freedom of Information Act, saying the agency failed to release training materials used by the agency's Exempt Organizations staff in Cincinnati.