New York Times report blasts Republicans for 'unfounded conspiracy theories' about increased IRS enforcement

A New York Times report Friday defended the doubling of the IRS workforce, claiming that Republicans are spreading “conspiracy theories.”

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Rappeport and Hsu insisted that these efforts are primarily to help the "beleaguered agency" hire new employees to "upgrade outdated technology" and "improve its ability to respond to taxpayers." They claimed Republicans have latched onto this news, "often distorting facts," to scare low-income voters into fearing they will be targeted for political purposes.

"But Republicans, who have long accused the I.R.S. of unfairly targeting conservatives, have seized on the law to fan unfounded conspiracy theories about the threat that mom-and-pop shops and middle-class Americans will face from an emboldened tax collector," they warned.