IRS Accused of Political Bias Against Conservative Groups Trying to Get Tax-Exempt Status

Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The Justice Department’s probe into the IRS includes questions about whether the tax agency withheld information from Congress and targeted members of conservative groups, the Washington Times reports. A government audit released Tuesday found that the IRS innapropriately singled out the Tea Party and other conservative groups because of their politically charged…

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Ex-FBI Agent Reaches Plea Deal in Case Accusing Him of Possessing, Distributing Child Porn

Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A former FBI agent who worked on high-profile cases has reached a plea deal with prosecutors who accuse him of possessing and distributing child pornography, the Associated Press reports. In the deal, 54-year-old Donald J. Sachtleben agreed to pay $20,000 in restitution to the victim. A judge must still approve the plea…

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Philadelphia Division of ATF Has New Leader with 20 Years of Federal Law Enforcement Experience

Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com  Twenty-year veteran Essam Rabadi became the new special agent in charge this month, Philly.com reports. Rabadi, a native of Yonkers, N.Y., became an ATF special agent in 1992, three years after he started off as a local police officer, Philly.com reported. Rabadi supervised the Philadelphia division’s drug-trafficking task force from 2000 to…

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Atty. General Eric Holder Says He Recused Himself in Justice Department Leak Probe Involving Associated Press

By Sari Horwitz and William Branigin Washington Post WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said Tuesday that he recused himself from involvement in a Justice Department leak investigation that secretly acquired telephone records of Associated Press journalists. But in response to questions at a news conference, he defended the department’s conduct in probing…

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Justice Department Secretly Monitored Phone Calls at Associated Press in “Unprecedented Intrusion”

Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Calling it a “massive and unprecedented intrusion,” the Justice Department covertly collected two months of telephone records from reporters and editors at the Associated Press, CNN reports. The records came from the work and person phone numbers reporters and other at the AP. It’s uncertain what officials are looking for, but one…

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