Charles Krauthammer: IRS Scandal Could Be a 'Fatal Problem' for Obama

Fox News

Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer on Friday said the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative organizations could be "fatal" for the Obama administration if it turns out that anyone in the White House was aware of it.

Appearing on Fox News' "Hannity," Krauthammer called the IRS situation "the one scandal that people have a visceral sense about" -- it's the one U.S. institution, besides the military, that can do very serious harm.

Going after conservative groups based on their politics is "a violation that everybody -- left or right-- understands," he added.

Krauthammer urged that there's no suggestion that Obama knew what was happening, "but if there's any indication that there were people in the White House who knew, who orchestrated, who encouraged or whatever, then it can be a fatal problem."

Obama ducked a direct question on Thursday about whether he or anyone else in the White House had known what was happening.

Krauthammer said he wasn't comparing the current situation to Watergate, but pointed out that the second article of impeachment against Richard Nixon was abuse of the IRS.

"The one issue that can fell a presidency is the corruption of the IRS coming from on high," Krauthammer said.

Watch below, via Mediaite:

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