Political Scandal News
Coverage of government scandals, corruption, and accountability. The Daily Signal reports on scandals with conservative analysis and commentary.
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- Opinion
Brazil: Corruption Scandals Will Cast a Shadow over Obama–Rousseff Meeting
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff will visit Washington next week, her first visit to the U.S. since taking office in 2011. President Obama says they will discuss “a whole range of issues, including climate change, energy, educational exchanges, and science and technology.” But for Rousseff, the Obama meeting will provide a welcome distraction from the unrelenting…James M. Roberts -
- Opinion
Corruption Scandals Tarnish Chile’s Strong Rule of Law Reputation
With an overall score of 78.5, Chile remained the 7th freest economy in the world in the 2015 Index of Economic Freedom and retained its rank as first in the Latin American and the Caribbean region. Beginning with the first edition of the Index in 1995, successive governments in Chile from the center-left and center-right…James M. Roberts -
- Opinion
A Flawed Legal Analysis Is Helping Lois Lerner
On March 31, Ronald Machen, the outgoing U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, wrote House Speaker John Boehner to inform him that the Justice Department would not present Lois Lerner’s contempt citation to a federal grand jury. The letter explaining his decision is an exercise in misdirection—the kind of misdirection that magicians use to…Hans von Spakovsky -
- News
Loretta Lynch’s Confirmation Moves Forward Despite Lingering Questions About HSBC Scandal
Despite criticism for her decision not to jail the perpetrators of a controversial white-collar crime, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved Loretta Lynch this morning to be the next U.S. attorney general, clearing the way for a full Senate vote. In a 12-8 vote, Lynch received unanimous support from the nine Democrats on the Judiciary Committee…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
Benghazi Scandal: New Pentagon Documents Show Military Knew It Was Islamic Terrorism
Close to 500 pages of Pentagon Benghazi-related documents obtained last week by the non-profit group Judicial Watch prove the U.S. military was operating on the assumption terrorists killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans on the night of Sept. 11, 2012. The papers confirm statements about the nature of the attack to congressional…Helle Dale -
- News
6 Charts That Show How Quickly Big Stories and Scandals Fade From the Media
If you’re a politician embroiled in a scandal, the rapidly moving news cycle might be a blessing. A National Public Radio analysis of issues mentioned by reporters during daily White House press briefings found the media’s attention span for various scandals and stories often wanes after just a few weeks. In six charts, NPR shows…Melissa Quinn -
- News
4 Things You Need to Know About the Findings on the IRS Targeting Scandal
The nation’s tax chief decided not to tell Congress that the IRS was targeting conservative groups, an action that would have brought to light the misconduct before the 2012 election, according to a new report from a House oversight panel. The implication, critics say, is that his failure to act protected President Obama from facing…Melissa Quinn -
- News
White House, Justice Sought to Stop Attkisson’s Reporting on Fast and Furious Scandal, Emails Reveal
Newly released documents show the White House and Justice Department targeted investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson in hopes of thwarting her reporting for CBS News on the secretive government operation called Fast and Furious. In an email exchange, a press aide to Attorney General Eric Holder tells a spokesman for President Obama that Attkisson is “out of…Melissa Quinn -
- News
Congressman Seeks to End Program He Calls ‘More Dangerous’ Than IRS Scandal
Calling a secretive government operation to strangle politically out-of-favor businesses “more dangerous” than the IRS targeting scandal, a congressman with a background in banking is preparing to introduce legislation to kill the Obama administration initiative. “I believe this activity is probably more dangerous and more disastrous than that of the IRS scandal because this is running people…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
Corruption Continues to Hurt Honduran Development
After 2009 socio-political turmoil caused by the constitutional crisis, Honduras has been slowly recovering and reintegrating into the international community. However, the deterioration of confidence in public institutions continues, posing a serious threat to the country’s future development. Over the past couple of months, Honduras has experienced several major corruption scandals. This past September, Hondurans…Lourdes Bautista -
- News
Judge Sides With IRS, Dismisses Lawsuits by Conservative Groups Over Targeting Scandal
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., sided today with the Internal Revenue Service and dismissed lawsuits by tea party organizations seeking redress for improper delays and scrutiny of their applications for tax-exempt status. District Judge Reggie B. Walton ruled that two lawsuits by True the Vote and Linchpins of Liberty, along with 41 other conservative…Melissa Quinn -
- News
No Apologies: Lois Lerner Breaks 16-Month Silence on IRS Scandal
It’s been one year since Lois Lerner officially retired from the Internal Revenue Service amid accusations that the tax agency improperly had targeted tea party and other conservative groups. Now, Lerner is speaking out and offering no apologies for her role in the scandal. “I didn’t do anything wrong,” Lerner told Politico, echoing the few…Melissa Quinn -
- News
IRS Under Fire for Targeting Conservatives Again … and This Time It’s a Media Outlet
The Internal Revenue Service, already under investigation for illegally targeting conservative and tea party groups, recently audited the conservative Breitbart News Network in a move that the company says was politically motivated. .@SenTedCruz called the audit of Breitbart News Network 'a gross abuse of power.' The IRS sought the company’s financial records from 2012, Fox…Rob Bluey -
- Opinion
Exclusive: Liberal Senator Preparing Report That Dismisses Allegations of IRS’ Tea Party Targeting
Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, is putting the finishing touches on his supposed "investigation" of the IRS scandal that will, in essence, be a press release for the IRS and the administration, a reliable source tells me. A forthcoming report is expected to clear the IRS of wrongdoing for targeting…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
More Evidence of Lois Lerner’s Liberal Bias
The Daily Caller has obtained an email that provides more stark evidence of the liberal bias of Lois Lerner, the former IRS official at the heart of the agency’s targeting of Tea Party and other conservative organizations that applied for tax-exempt status. Although Lerner was hypersensitive about political activity by conservatives, she appears to have…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
Cartoon: Lois Lerner’s Missing Emails
What's the full story? >>> Seriously? IRS Says Lois Lerner’s Blackberry Was ‘Wiped Clean’Glenn Foden -
- Opinion
Seriously? IRS Says Lois Lerner’s Blackberry Was ‘Wiped Clean’
August is supposed to be a quiet time in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area when Congress takes its traditional recess and everyone else who makes a living off Congress from lobbyists to journalists take advantage of the members’ absence and go on vacation. But events keep happening in the IRS scandal that are upsetting the…Hans von Spakovsky -
- News
In IRS Emails, Lois Lerner Calls Conservatives ‘Crazies’ and … Worse
IRS division chief Lois Lerner, the central figure in the tax agency’s targeting scandal, uses a vulgar anatomical expletive to refer to conservatives in newly released official emails and, again referring to conservatives, writes that it’s not foreign terrorists but “our own crazies that will take us down.” House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., details…Melissa Quinn -
- News
Fired Export-Import Bank Official Pleads the Fifth at Hearing on Corruption, Fraud
An Export-Import Bank official who was fired on suspicion of taking cash in exchange for helping a Florida company obtain financing cited his Fifth Amendment right in declining to testify today during a House hearing examining corruption and fraud at the bank, a federal agency. Johnny Gutierrez opted not to answer questions after being subpoenaed…Melissa Quinn -
- News
Export-Import Bank Goes Under the Microscope for Allegations of Fraud, Corruption
Lawmakers will examine allegations of fraud and corruption at the Export-Import Bank today as a House subcommittee probes the embattled agency’s operations. Led by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation & Regulatory Affairs will examine multiple allegations of wrongdoing that have plagued the Export-Import Bank. Witnesses…Melissa Quinn