Return to a Rule of Law.

IRS acknowledges targeting conservatives.

//Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Thursday that the Justice Department is settling class action lawsuits brought by more than 400 conservative groups who said they were "improperly" delayed when seeking tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service.

“The IRS’ use... of heightened scrutiny was wrong and should never have occurred," Sessions said. "It is improper for the IRS to single out groups for different treatment based on their names or ideological positions."

Justice Department lawyers represented the IRS. The conservative groups brought legal action in wake of disclosures about the delays during the Obama administration that prompted the resignation of the IRS' top official at the time, along with other officials tied to the matter.

At one point, President Obama addressed the issue, saying it was "outrageous" for the IRS to target groups based on political beliefs and those involved should be "held fully accountable."

The proposed settlement, which provides no monetary relief, includes an acknowledgment by the IRS that its treatment of the applicants was "wrong."//