WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee said Attorney General Eric Holder will face "pointed'' questions Wednesday when he appears on Capitol Hill to address a range of controversies shadowing the Obama administration, from the Justice Department's seizure of Associated Press phone records to the IRS targeting of conservative groups to the continuing probe into the Boston Marathon bombings.

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"Any abridgement of the First Amendment is very concerning, especially reports that the IRS targeted conservative groups for unwarranted scrutiny during an election year,'' committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said in advance of Wednesday's hearing. "Congress and the American people expect answers and accountability.''

The House hearing comes a day after Holder announced that the Justice Department had launched an investigation into the activities of the Internal Revenue Services practice of singling out conservative groups for additional scrutiny when they applied for tax-exempt status.

We'll be live-blogging from the hearing. Check back here at 1 p.m. ET when it is scheduled to begin.