One of the nation's most active watchdogs on government, Judicial Watch, has announced a new lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over information about the IRSÂ program to spy on taxpayers.
The IRS already is in court for its obstruction of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status.
Now it's being accused of taking taxpayer information and spreading it around to other federal bureaucracies.
Judicial Watch's Freedom of Information Act lawsuit was filed this week.
"Once again we have evidence that the Obama administration misused the IRS, this time to promote its ill-fated health care scheme," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
"As the Trump administration and the Congress wrestle over Obamacare, it's important to understand the full extent of the Obamacare ongoing assault on taxpayers and the rule of law," he said.
"And it would be nice if the Trump agencies would stop the stalling and finally begin obeying the freedom of information law," said Fitton.
The Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act case seeks to force the IRS and the Department of Health and Human Services to reveal records about their sharing of private taxpayer information under Obamacare.
Even though Obamacare is expected to be repealed by the new Republican Congress, until that actually happens, its provisions are in the law.
Judicial Watch had filed a FOIA request back in November, asking for all records concerning the agency efforts to reach out to individuals "claiming an exemption or paying a penalty for failing to purchase the mandatory Obamacare health insurance."
Also sought were records where protected taxpayer information was shared.
It was just last fall that Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., majority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, and other House members sent a letter to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen.
"We strongly object to any action by the administration," the lawmakers said, "to improperly use sensitive taxpayer information to identify and harass individuals who have rejected the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act by choosing to pay a tax rather than be forced into a health care plan they don't need and don't want.
"One of the most important responsibilities of the Internal Revenue Service is to protect sensitive taxpayer information. Recent reports have revealed that in order to prop up the failing health insurance exchanges created by the ACA, the administration is planning to conduct outreach directly to taxpayers who paid a penalty under the law's individual mandate in previous years."
The Washington Times reported federal officials were demanding to use IRS files not just to identify those who refused to sign up for insurance, but to reach out and contact them.
The complaint points out that the government acknowledged the request for information last December and promised to have it ready by April 5.
"Plaintiff has received no further communications from defendant Internal Revenue Servce," the complaint says.
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