Outgoing acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller faced sharp questioning over the agency’s role in scrutinizing conservative groups as he testified before the House Ways and Means Committee.
The Daily Rundown‘s Friday gaggle broke down the first hour of testimony, where Miller was grilled by Republicans and Democrats alike over how and when the agency knew these groups were being targeted.
Miller took issue with that “targeted” phrase, though, saying he didn’t “believe that partisanship motivated the practices.”
Americans for Tax Reform’s Mattie Duppler said that Miller’s wrangling over that term implied it wasn’t simply a mistake.
“That implies that they’re trying to defend themselves against criticism that there might be a little bit more underhandedness than what they’re getting to,” said Duppler.
Former DCCC spokesman Doug Thornell said he thought that committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., typically a figure respected on both sides of the aisle, went too far in some of his questioning. “I thought he was a little unfocused and he’s a disciplined politician,” said Thornell. “Republicans are trying to connect the dots to the White House. I thought Steven Miller actually did a pretty good job of answering those questions.” Time magazine’s Michael Scherer said, “We’re going to have a lot more hearings about whether politics were involved, but we’re not going to get it from these guys.”
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