IRS officials are investigating the Clinton Foundation for alleged fraud after dozens of lawmakers asked the tax agency to open an inquiry.

A spokeswoman for Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who led the effort to demand an investigation, told the Washington Examiner that the IRS has referred her request to its Exempt Organizations Examinations program.

The move signals a shift from the IRS's announcement last year that it would not look into allegations of financial irregularities at the well-connected charity amid controversy over its acceptance of foreign donations while Hillary Clinton was serving as secretary of state.

Blackburn's office received news of the probe Monday, the first day of the Democratic convention honoring Clinton.

Emails from Hillary Clinton's private email server showed that donors to the Clinton Foundation may have received special access to the State Department while Clinton led the department.

Companies like the Blackstone Group, Honeywell, Merck, Boeing and others donated hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions of dollars to the foundation, and then had access to high level State Department officials or even Clinton herself.