Last week, ProPublica's Kim Barker and Justin Elliott explained how the IRS sent us tax-exempt applications for nonprofit status from conservative groups. We also noted some of the dysfunction that exacerbated the problems at the IRS’s Exempt Organizations office in Cincinnati.
In-between those stories, ProPublica editor-in-chief Steve Engelberg sat down with Barker to talk about the burgeoning scandal and ProPublica’s role in it. The pair discussed who sent the documents to us, whether it was deliberate or a mistake, why we published some of the information, what was Barker’s first thought when she found out she got the Crossroads GPS application and whether we burned a source at the IRS? On that latter point, Barker told Engelberg, “I’d love to be able to say I have some Deep Throat source in the IRS that sends me stuff – that just isn’t the case. They don’t even return my phone calls.”
We hope this podcast clears up any questions you might’ve had about the situation. We’ll post a full transcript of the conversation soon.