When senior IRS officials first admitted to unfair and inappropriate targeting of conservative groups, they claimed the targeting was carried out by a few rogue agents in a Cincinnati office. Weeks and mounds of evidence to the contrary later, a new Rasmussen Report shows 70 percent of Americans believe the targeting of tea party groups came from Washington D.C. and the White House.
Only 17% believe that the IRS abuse was the result of low-level employees at the Cincinnati office. Seventy percent (70%) believe the IRS decision to target conservative groups was made in Washington, an increase of five points over the past month. That includes 29% who believe the decision was made at IRS headquarters and 41% who believe it was made at the White House.
The most interesting thing about the latest polling is the number of people paying attention to the scandal. After all, the IRS affects everyone.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 82% of voters nationwide are now following the IRS targeting story, including 44% who are following the story “Very Closely.” The overall number of voters who are following is up from 74% a month ago.