Patriotism

WOODSTOCK, GA -- Tea Party Patriots Co-Founder Jenny Beth Martin today issued the following statement in response to the recent revelations on the extent of the targeting of tea party groups by the IRS.

"On Wednesday, we saw another example of how the Obama administration has turned government ‘Of the People’ upside-down.

"Instead of the Department of Justice investigating the IRS targeting of innocent Americans, we learned they were preparing to investigate groups like ours with absolutely no evidence of wrongdoing. And where there is evidence of a crime at the IRS, the Justice Department isn’t interviewing Tea Party Patriots or other victims of IRS abuse. Instead, there’s collusion with Senate Democrats and the IRS to find ways to prosecute innocent Americans. The DoJ should change its name to the Department of Injustice. It is unjust and unfair.

"How far would Lois Lerner, the IRS and the Obama administration go to silence groups like Tea Party Patriots and others with whom they disagree? They targeted us with intimidation and delays, and now we learn they contemplated prosecuting us. When the congressional recess is over and Congress reconvenes, we demand a vote of the entire Congress on whether to hold Lois Lerner in contempt. Americans deserve to know where their elected representatives stand on IRS abuse.

"Americans also deserve to know what other actions the IRS has taken in its efforts to deprive citizens of their First Amendment rights. That’s why Tea Party Patriots filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday, asking the court to force the IRS to let taxpayers see for themselves the information about what their government is doing to subvert their personal freedoms and place limits on their First Amendment rights to free speech.

"We will not be bullied or threatened into silence. We will continue to speak out. This kind of abuse of power and government overreach is why the modern day Tea Party movement started, and we will continue to stand for personal freedom until those in Washington learn to cherish it again. We thank the group Judicial Watch for their research and hard work in looking for the truth."

Tea Party Patriots is a national grassroots coalition with more than 3,400 locally organized chapters and more than 15 million supporters nationwide. Tea Party Patriots is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting the principles of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government, and free markets. Visit Tea Party Patriots online at www.TeaPartyPatriots.org.