The LVTP was not a target of any IRS investigations, though its application for non-profit status took nearly a year to be approved, the group said in the statement.
"The Lehigh Valley Tea Party has followed the rules since its creation in 2009," the group announced. "Our organization has tried very hard to do everything the way we're supposed to."
The LVTP release said the IRS investigations caused some concern about members' right to free speech and privacy, specifically on social media sites like Facebook, as the federal tax agency had demanded full comment lists and lists of meeting attendees of other groups across the country.
"It was understood by the groups which were targeted in this way that this was uncommon treatment," the LVTP said. "It is outrageous that the Internal Revenue Service would target organizations for special scrutiny based upon their view of our government's policies and whether or not those organizations agree with any presidential administration...the last time we checked the Constitution guarantees us the right to express those positions."
President Obama has released a statement that said IRS investigations based solely on political affiliations are "intolerable and inexcusable".
"Our concerns about this powerful entity are magnified because the Internal Revenue Service has been tasked with implementation of many of the provisions of the new health care law," the group's announcement says, adding that members will "be watching the ongoing investigations very closely" and that the Tea Party supports Congressional hearings "to find out exactly who is responsible for this outrage."
The LVTP meets on the first Friday evening of each month at the Charles Chrin Community Center in Palmer Township.
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