Politics

Acting IRS head: The IRS has ‘betrayed the trust of the American people’ [VIDEO]

Vince Coglianese Editorial Director
Font Size:

The acting head of the IRS told congressional investigators Monday morning that his agency has “betrayed the trust of the American people.”

Republican Rep. Ander Crenshaw began his questioning of Danny Werfel — the newly appointed head of the IRS — whether the agency had violated its relationship with the American public.

“Do you feel like the IRS has betrayed the trust of the American people?” Crenshaw asked.

“I do, Mr. Chairman,” Werfel replied.

“I think that’s why — thinking about this in terms of my primary mission — is to restore that trust,” Werfel added, “and I’m hopeful by the end of this hearing today, through the various questions that you ask, that I can lay out our approach.”

The IRS is under investigation for abusing conservative groups that applied for tax-exempt status and for at least $50 million in wasteful spending over the past several years.

Follow Vince on Twitter