Calling on Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., to appoint a special counsel to investigate the targeting of…

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives, with respect to the targeting by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of conservative nonprofit advocacy groups, that: (1) the statements and actions of the IRS, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Obama Administration have served to undermine DOJ's investigation of this matter; (2) the Administration's efforts to undermine the investigation, and the appointment of a person who has donated almost $7,000 to President Obama and the Democratic National Committee in a lead investigative role, have created a conflict of interest for DOJ that warrants removal of the investigation from its normal processes; (3) further investigation of the matter is warranted due to the apparent criminal activity by Lois G. Lerner, former IRS Director, Exempt Organizations, and the ongoing disclosure of internal communications showing potentially unlawful conduct by executive branch personnel; (4) given DOJ's conflict of interest, as well as the strong public interest in ensuring that public officials who inappropriately targeted American citizens for exercising their right to free expression are held accountable, appointment of a special counsel would be in the public interest; and (5) Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., should appoint a special counsel, without further delay, to investigate the targeting of conservative nonprofit advocacy groups by the IRS.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov