Top IRS Official to Plead Fifth

Breitbart.com ^ | 5/21/13 | John Nolte

[cotton1706]

Tuesday afternoon a bombshell was dropped into the already explosive IRS scandal when it was reported that Lois Lerner, a top IRS official in the non-profit division that paralyzed Tea Party groups with ongoing harassment, would invoke the Fifth Amendment and refuse to answer questions during Congressional testimony schedule before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. The LA Times reports that Lerner will refuse to answer any questions about what she knows about the targeting of conservative groups. She will also refuse to explain why she is refusing to answer questions.

Lerner has retained defense attorney William W. Taylor 3rd, who sent a letter to Darrell Issa, the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee. In the letter Taylor said, "She has not committed any crime or made any misrepresentation but under the circumstances she has no choice but to take this course.”

Taylor is hoping Issa will excuse his client from having to testify in order to save her the embarrassment of having to invoke the Fifth in public. Per The L.A. Times, the committee hasn't yet answered her request one way or the other.

ADDED: National Journal reports that Issa "has issued a subpoena to Lerner anyway."

Since the IRS scandal broke wide open ten days ago, Lerner has been at the center of the controversy. She is not only the head of the division that oversaw the Kafka-esque harassment of President Obama's political foes; she has also been caught on numerous occasions making misleading statements.

[cotton1706]

"on the grounds that my answer may tend to incriminate me."

[chris37]

So they can plead the 5th amendment and violate the first amendment?

BS on that.

[LyinLibs]

[TexasCajun]

Thanks for posting.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Holder will plead sixth, followed by Obama pleading seventh...

[tflabo]

Pink tissue boy Boner needs to appoint a Special Prosecutor to uncover this stone-walling.

[Sacajaweau]

What a joke...Her attorney is asking that she not testify so as not to embarrass her.....Are they nuts??

I'd say she's scared sh**....of Obama....

Sounds like she knows too much.

[TexasCajun]

I pray Issa put her on the hot seat and makes her plead the fifth all day!

[Dutch Boy]

I thought you could only plead the 5th as protection in a criminal case. Is testing before congress considered a criminal case?

[teeman8r]

if you haven’t committed a crime, why plead that the answers may be incriminating....

hmmmmm

how about these questions:

were the actions of the irs targeting initiated by you?
No? then who initiated them?
You don’t know? or won’t tell us?
Fifth Amendment? we already have destruction of 1st, 2nd, 4th, we might as well go for #5; and while we’re at it... these wwII vets you were asking about will be staying with you until they get back on their feet. To take care of the 3rd amendment.

[Lurker]

You can avail yourself of 5th Amendment protections anytime you’re under oath.

[Travis McGee]

Abort the IRS!

Enough is enough.

[randita]

Taylor is hoping Issa will excuse his client from having to testify in order to save her the embarrassment of having to invoke the Fifth in public.

No way. Get her on tape.

So is the next step immunity? I hope not, because they could grant her immunity and then she could deliver nothing.

I'd think we're edging closer and closer to a special prosecutor.

[TurboZamboni]

“an unprecedented level of openness in government”...

So much for transparency
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2188721/posts
Video: Transparency on parade!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2720555/posts

Obama’s Empty Transparency Rhetoric
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2715013/posts

[nascarnation]

Get her on tape.

2014 congress campaign commercial material.....

[Raycpa]

Her attorney:

William W. Taylor, III

Professional Highlights

Obtained dismissal of all criminal charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), who was accused of sexual assault in a New York City hotel. He also represented Mr. Strauss-Kahn in a related civil matter.

Helped obtain full exoneration for the former chief of the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice in independent counsel and internal investigations of prosecutorial misconduct related to the prosecution of the late Sen. Ted Stevens.

Led team of attorneys who obtained dismissal of all claims against Kenneth Langone, former Chair of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Compensation Committee, relating to compensation of NYSE President Richard Grasso. The claims were brought by then New York Attorney General Elliott Spitzer.

[haircutter]

ahhh...boo~ho...poor thing should not have to embarrass herself by invoking 5Th. in public...

T.S. loser, cry us a river...

I'm tired of this bull this administration is putting this country through. ENOUGH ALREADY..

RESIGN OBAMA and take your thugs with you...

[Maceman]

Well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well,well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well,Well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well,well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well . . .

Funny thing, TAXPAYERS aren’t allowed to invoke their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination when they are required to file a tax return under penalty of perjury.

[Paladin2]

I'd rather take a 5^th.

[MMaschin]

This all the cover the Republicans need to appoint a Special Prosecutor.

It can not be claimed that they are doing it for political reasons, when senior executives are claiming 5th amendment protections against self incrimination. In doing so they are claiming they may have committed a crime, it would be the special prosecutors job to determine if one was committed or not. I don't see another viable option.