Melanie Morgan

Two-thirds of American voters (66 percent) think the Internal Revenue Service  targeted conservative groups as part of a high-level operation to punish  political opponents.  Far fewer -- 23 percent -- think it was a mistake by  a handful of lower-level IRS employees.

That’s  according to a just-released Fox News poll.  

Even Democrats, by a seven percentage-point margin, are more likely to think  the targeting was a punitive measure ordered by higher-ups.  

In addition, most voters continue to believe the Obama administration knew about (40  percent) or was directly involved in (28 percent) the IRS treating conservative  groups unfairly.  

That’s little changed from last month when 37 percent thought the  administration was aware of the operation and 29 percent thought it was behind  it.

The  new poll, released Wednesday, finds 24 percent think the administration had  “absolutely nothing” to do with what the IRS did.  The same number felt  that way last month.

In May the IRS acknowledged it had targeted Tea Party and other conservative  groups for special attention when the groups sought tax-exempt status.

Just 11 percent of those who identify with the Tea Party movement believe the  White House had nothing to do with it.

More  than three-quarters of voters (78 percent) want Congress to continue to  investigate the IRS.  That’s a bit higher than the number that thinks  Congress should continue to investigate the Justice Department seizing  journalists’ records (76 percent) and the Obama administration handling of the  attacks in Benghazi (73 percent).

Continuing the investigation into the IRS scandal has widespread support:  Almost all Republicans (90 percent), as well as sizable majorities of  independents (76 percent) and Democrats (69 percent) agree lawmakers should  persist until they feel they know the truth.  

Read more:  http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/06/12/fox-news-poll-irs-targeting-intentional-act-to-punish-political-opponents-most/#ixzz2W5we7NUE