If the Obama administration has nothing to hide when it comes to the IRS targeting scandal, it's hard to explain all the delays and obfuscations attending the investigation of it. Now, congressional investigators suspect that the FBI has gotten marching orders from Eric Holder's Justice Department not to be forthcoming.
Six months after it began, the FBI's investigation has resulted in no release of information. The congressmen said the FBI even rescinded an offer for an in-person briefing with the assistant director in charge of the investigation. The reversal, after the FBI consulted with the Justice Department, suggests political meddling, the two investigators said.
This obstruction is consistent with other instances of passive resistance to full transparency and accountability, of course -- for example, Chief Counsel William Wilkins (remember him?) insisted that he didn't recall events relating to the targeting scandal a dazzling eighty times in his congressional testimony.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. The new FBI Director, James Comey, gained a reputation for uprightness and integrity based on his actions during the Bush years -- so one would hope that he will insist on the agency cooperating with an investigation into the biggest scandal that the IRS has ever encountered. On the other hand, President Obama isn't notable for choosing independent thinkers for any significant posts.
One thing is certain: The conduct of the IRS -- whether it pertains to policy or to its enforcement actions -- reeks of politicization. If the Democrats who continue to shield the agency have any regard for its reputation, they will stop aiding and abetting what looks more and more like a coverup.
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