Acting IRS Chief Ousted Over Scrutiny of Conservative Groups

Acting Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Steven T. Miller resigned Wednesday at the demand of President Obama as the administration took steps to quell the furor over the tax agency’s screening of conservative organizations seeking nonprofit status, The Washington Post writes.

In a brief White House statement, the president termed the treatment of Tea Party and other right-wing groups “inexcusable,” said the administration would cooperate with congressional inquiries into the IRS and called for a revamp of regulations for political advocacy groups so “we can have confidence they are applied in a fair and impartial way.”

Lawmakers have criticized Mr. Miller for failing to notify Congress after he learned of the problem last year, despite inquiries by Republican legislators. In an internal message Wednesday, he told IRS staffers “there is a strong and immediate need to restore public trust in the nation’s tax agency.”

See more Chronicle of Philanthropy coverage of the IRS scandal.