Politics

Tea party activists want to show their unhappiness over extra IRS scrutiny with protest rallies.

Members of the Cincinnati tea party will gather at noon today in the city, then march to the nearby federal building. The building houses Internal Revenue Service offices that handled group applications for tax-exempt status. IRS officials have acknowledged that some conservative groups received inappropriate attention and questioning.

Other tea party groups also want activists in other cities to protest Tuesday at their local IRS offices.

A Democratic state lawmaker is announcing plans to challenge Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel in 2014.

Third-term state Rep. Connie Pillich, of suburban Cincinnati, said Monday she'll focus her campaign on fighting for working families, fellow small business owners and senior citizens.

Pillich has been a lawyer, businesswoman and captain in the U.S. Air Force.

Without using his name, she criticized Mandel for absenteeism from his state position during a failed run for the U.S. Senate last year and for not wanting the job.

Reaction to the IRS targeting several conservative groups is dividing some Ohio conservatives.

Tom Zawitowski is a Tea Party activist in Portgage County and was among those wrongly investigated by the IRS. The Ohio Republican Party this week sent out a email asking supporters to donate money to help fight the IRS. Speaking on All Sides with Ann Fisher today, Zawitowski called the email, “an example of how unconnected the Ohio Republican Party is with their base.”