WASHINGTON — IRS Commissioner John Koskinen expressed regret to Congress on Wednesday for his agency’s past mistreatment of Tea Party groups, but said he has cooperated with congressional investigators and does not deserve to be impeached.

The IRS chief made the remarks at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on a drive by hard-line conservatives to oust Koskinen.

Their impeachment resolution accuses him of lying to lawmakers, ignoring subpoenas, and overseeing an agency that destroyed e-mails as Congress investigated how the IRS subjected Tea Party groups seeking tax exemptions to harsh investigations years ago.

The agency has apologized for its actions and Koskinen has said he’s done nothing wrong. Government investigators have found no evidence that Koskinen or the IRS purposely destroyed evidence or that the agency’s actions were politically motivated.

‘‘I did nothing to impede the operation of the Congress,’’ Koskinen, speaking under oath, told the lawmakers.

Besides opposition from Democrats, the push has divided Republicans, won no backing from GOP leaders, and has no chance of passage.

Committee chairman Bob Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican, said the IRS engaged in ‘‘a political plan to silence the voices of groups representing millions of Americans.’’

But Representative John Conyers of Michigan said Republicans were engaged in ‘‘partisan attacks cloaked in the impeachment process’’ that he said “are doomed from the start.’’

Some Democrats tried scoring their own political points by asking Koskinen about GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York asked if people under IRS audit are free to release their tax returns, a situation Trump has asserted in refusing to do so. Koskinen said such taxpayers can release their returns.

Associated Press