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GOP: Lerner emails show bias against conservatives

FILE - In this May 22, 2013 file photo, Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner refuses to answer questions as the House Oversight Committee holds a hearing to investigate the extra scrutiny the IRS gave Tea Party and other conservative groups that applied for tax-exempt status, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Lerner, a former IRS official at the heart of the agency's tea party controversial called Republicans "crazies" and more in newly released emails. Lerner used to head the IRS division that handles applications for tax-exempt status. In a series of emails with a colleague in November 2012, Lerner made two disparaging remarks about members of the GOP, including one remark that was profane. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., released the emails Wednesday as part of his committee's investigation. Camp says the emails show Lerner's disgust with conservatives. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
FILE - In this May 22, 2013 file photo, Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner refuses to answer questions as the House Oversight Committee holds a hearing to investigate the extra scrutiny the IRS gave Tea Party and other conservative groups that applied for tax-exempt status, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Lerner, a former IRS official at the heart of the agency's tea party controversial called Republicans "crazies" and more in newly released emails. Lerner used to head the IRS division that handles applications for tax-exempt status. In a series of emails with a colleague in November 2012, Lerner made two disparaging remarks about members of the GOP, including one remark that was profane. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., released the emails Wednesday as part of his committee's investigation. Camp says the emails show Lerner's disgust with conservatives. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE - In this May 22, 2013 file photo, Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner refuses to answer questions as the House Oversight Committee holds a hearing to investigate the extra scrutiny the IRS gave Tea Party and other conservative groups that applied for tax-exempt status, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Lerner, a former IRS official at the heart of the agency's tea party controversial called Republicans "crazies" and more in newly released emails. Lerner used to head the IRS division that handles applications for tax-exempt status. In a series of emails with a colleague in November 2012, Lerner made two disparaging remarks about members of the GOP, including one remark that was profane. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., released the emails Wednesday as part of his committee's investigation. Camp says the emails show Lerner's disgust with conservatives. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) – Congressional investigators say this is why they want all of Lois Lerner’s emails.

Newly released emails show the former IRS official referring to some right-wing Republicans as “crazies” and more, a revelation that is fueling GOP claims of a political conspiracy at the tax agency to target conservative groups.

Lerner headed the IRS division that handles applications for tax-exempt status. In a series of emails with an associate in November 2012, Lerner made two disparaging remarks about some members of the GOP, including one remark that was vulgar.

Rep. Dave Camp, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, released the emails Wednesday as part of his committee’s investigation. The Michigan Republican says the emails show Lerner’s “disgust with conservatives.”

In one email, Lerner called some conservatives crazies. In the other, she called them “assholes.” The committee redacted the wording to “_holes” in the material it released publicly, but a committee spokeswoman confirmed to The Associated Press that the email said “assholes.”