Poll: 57% Want IRS Officials Jailed or Fired for Targeting Conservative Groups…

A mere 16 percent of likely U.S. voters believe that the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups was a coincidence, while 57 percent believe the probes were politically motivated, according to the latest Rasmussen poll.

What's more, 57 percent believe IRS agents involved in the investigation of conservative groups should either be jailed or fired. In terms of specific break-down, 16 percent say the IRS agents should be put in jail and 41 percent believe they should at least be fired.

Only seven percent of voters believe no disciplinary action should be taken against the IRS agents while 29 percent believe that, at the very least, those involved should be formally reprimanded.

In terms of whether the Obama administration had prior knowledge about the investigations, 55 percent of likely voters think it is at least somewhat likely that the president or his top advisers were aware of the IRS probes into Tea Party and other conservative groups. That 55 percent includes 13 percent of Democrats and 34 percent of unaffiliated voters.

Only 34 percent of likely voters believe it is unlikely that the White House was aware of IRS investigations into conservative groups.

In terms of punishment for IRS agents, 44 percent of Democrats believe those involved should be formally reprimanded.