The Liberty Township Tea Party has joined 40 other conservative groups in a federal lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, claiming the agency delayed and obstructed their application for tax-exempt status because of their political beliefs.

The Butler County conservative political group applied for 501c3 status with the IRS in May of 2010, and after more than three years, its application hasnt been approved or denied. The IRS admitted last month that it targeted for tougher examinations tea party and other conservative groups seeking the tax-exempt designation.

Susan McLaughlin, of Liberty Twp., was one of several Tea Party members from around the United States who flew to Washington, D.C., last month to speak out about the scandal that is engulfing the IRS.

We need answers to whats going on, McLaughlin said of her groups reasons for joining the American Center for Law and Justices suit. There needs to be consequences for the actions the IRS took, and I dont think taking the Fifth Amendment and being on paid administrative leave is punishment.

Acting IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel testified June 3 before the House Appropriations Committees subcommittee on financial services and general government that trust has been broken as a result of the unacceptable conduct uncovered in the recent report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. He promised taxpayers that he would restore that trust and that a comprehensive review of the agency would take place.

Werfel acknowledged Monday that the IRSs screening of groups seeking tax-exempt status was broader and lasted longer than has been previously disclosed. Terms including Israel, Progressive and Occupy were used by agency workers to help pick groups for closer examination, according to an internal IRS document.

And while investigators have said agency screening of those groups stopped in May 2012, Mondays revelation made it clear that screening of other kinds of organizations continued until earlier this month. That is when Werfel says he discovered it, and ordered it halted.

The American Center for Law and Justice filed suit May 29 against the IRS on behalf of 25 conservative organizations. Since then, 16 other conservative groups have joined the lawsuit, including two Ohio Tea Parties Liberty Twp. and Portage County.

Lawyers argue that IRS officials working in offices from California to Washington, D.C., pulled applications from conservative organizations, delayed processing those applications for sometimes well over a year, then made probing and unconstitutional requests for additional information that often required applicants to disclose, among other things, donor lists, direct and indirect communications with members of legislative bodies, Internet passwords and usernames, copies of social media and other Internet postings, and even the political and charitable activities of family members.

McLaughlin said she doesnt know when a court date will be set. All she wants justice.

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Liberty Twp. Tea Party joins lawsuit against IRS