Court: IRS Needs to Prove It Isn't Targeting Conservative Groups

A federal appeals court said the Internal Revenue Service has not proven it has ended discriminatory practices against conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status, reinstating a lawsuit against the troubled agency.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit's unanimous order on Friday reversed a 2014 lower district court ruling that previously dismissed the lawsuit, which originally was filed the year before.

The federal appeals court found that the IRS had committed some "unconstitutional acts against at least a portion of the plaintiffs," including "Be-On-The-Lookout" (or "BOLO") lists where certain organizations' applications for tax-exempt status "were subjected to extended delay" and "were not receiving the same processing as those of other organizations."