The Internal Revenue Service apologized Friday for inappropriately “flagging” conservative political organizations who submitted applications containing the words “tea party” or “patriot.” Their startling confession backs myriad complaints from conservative groups who claim that they were unjustly harassed by the IRS in 2012. Speaking to a conference in Washington, Lois Lerner, director of the Exempt Organizations Division of the IRS, said that it was a group of low-level workers in Cincinnati who launched the procedure—one that she admits was wrong.