It was “an unbelievable set of circumstances” that led to the erasure of backup tapes of Lois G. Lerner’s emails after a congressional subpoena sought these records in an investigation of the tax agency’s targeting of tea party and conservative groups. Or so says the IRS’ deputy inspector general.

In literature and in cinema, this would be referred to as suspension of disbelief. For the Obama administration in its dealings with Congress, it’s business as usual.

As the script goes, Ms. Lerner formerly led the IRS agency accused in the targeting scandal. Once an investigation commenced, the IRS informed Congress that, by golly, her computer had suffered a debilitating hard drive crash and that her emails were lost.

Backup computer tapes of the sought emails later turned up. But — oops! — about 24,000 emails might have been permanently lost to erasure, The Washington Times reports. Of the 1,000 recovered emails that the IRS didn’t turn over to Congress, none pertain to the targeting, according to the IG. Imagine that.

Why, nobody “did anything intentionally to hinder our investigation,” said Democrat Rep. Elijah E. Cummings.

A crashed hard drive. Now erased backup tapes. It is not unreasonable to suspect the destruction of evidence amid a succession of excuses during a two-year investigation. Congress must redouble its efforts to get to the bottom of this.

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