groups. that's the president's and the treasury secretary's responsibility. >> well, as we know, paul, none of the things you described happened. >> right. >> they didn't do any of that. >> that's my point. >> instead, the idea that because this investigation -- it was actually an audit. the inspector general doesn't have subpoena power. none of these people are undpre. they weren't hiring lawyers. so they gradually find out it's going on during the campaign, but by doing nothing, they let it rip. they let the audit, the bureau, hold on to these applications from these groups, asked them for all of this information, basically put all these political activist groups who simply wanted to participate, put them on the shelf. some of them quit. that was the -- that was the practical political effect of saying, we don't want to get involved. well, that doesn't mean nothing was happening. it means the conservative groups were on the shelf. >> how do we contain -- >> yeah. if i could just elaborate on dan's point, i think one thing that's really important for people to understand here, it wasn't just the groups that had their applications on the shelf