May 10, 2013 12:28PM 

# Targeting the Tea Party Isn’t the IRS’s Most Egregious Abuse of Power 

By [Michael F. Cannon](https://www.cato.org/people/michael-f-cannon) 

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[Not by a longshot.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/irs-apologizes-for-inappropriately-targeting-conservative-political-groups-in-2012-election/2013/05/10/5afef7b8-b980-11e2-b568-6917f6ac6d9d_story.html)

As Jonathan Adler and I explain in [this law journal article](http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2106789), and as I explain somewhat more accessibly in [this Cato paper](https://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/50-vetoes-white-paper_1.pdf), the IRS is trying to tax, borrow, and spend $800 billion in clear violation of federal law and congressional intent.

Yes, you read that right: $800 *billion*.

##### Related Tags 

[General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Government and Politics](https://www.cato.org/government-politics), [Health Care](https://www.cato.org/health-care) 

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