Obama Dismisses Head of IRS for Some Agents' Excessive Zeal

U.S. tax authorities have recently admitted that some of its agents have used strategies to target conservative groups. Caught up in scandals, Barack Obama is trying to give assurance to the opposition.

“I’ll do everything in my power to make sure nothing like this happens again,” declared Barack Obama after having dismissed Steven Miller, commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, the department in charge of taxation in the U.S.

As for the U.S. president, this resignation should put an end to the scandal that has shaken his administration since statements made by one of its leaders. Lois Lerner acknowledged last Friday that some tax officials had shown excessive zeal while considering tax exemption applications from groups whose names contained words like “tea party” or “patriot,” signifying a closeness to the conservative opposition. The tea party is renowned for its rhetoric against federal taxes.

Before resigning, Steven Miller, who has been head of the IRS only since November, indicated that two agents in a Cincinnati unit have been identified for their activism in the matter. He also defended the fact that the White House was not linked to this affair without convincing conservatives, who are flying into a rage.

‘I’m Angry About It’

To calm things down, Barack Obama expressed his anger over this “inexcusable” act. “Americans have a right to be angry about it, and I’m angry about it,” he said during a short press conference. “The IRS has to operate with absolute integrity,” he added. He proposed working together with Congress to put safeguards in place within the IRS. According to conservatives, the White House is being elusive. “More than two years after the problem began and a year after the IRS told us there was no problem, the president is beginning to take action,” said Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell.

The White House is collapsing under recent attacks from the opposition. Republicans are revisiting the issue of the assassination of the U.S. ambassador to Libya last September, forcing the government to publish documents, classified until now, in order to show its good faith in the management of that case.