A judge gave final approval on the settlement between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and hundreds of tea party groups groups across the country. The decision closes the class action suit, which lasted more than five years, that alleged the IRS illegally targeted the conservative groups when applying for tax-exempt status during the 2012 election.
The IRS agreed to pay $3.5 million to the disgruntled, targeted groups.
“It shows that when a government agency desires to target citizens based on their viewpoints, a price will be paid,” said Edward Greim, a lawyer who led the class-action case in federal court in Cincinnati, according to the Washington Times.
Judge Michael R. Barrett deemed the settlement “fair, reasonable and adequate.”
