As much as I hate Lerner, I also do not want the Constitution violated in going after her.
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.” - 4th Amendment.
Papers and effects covers emails and phone conversations.
The NSA is violating the Constitution and so is anyone who obtains these records without a court order.
Dude, you wrong….work emails from agents like IRS hacks are NOT NOT NOT protected - if the IRS’s emails are protected, then none of us can possibly be protected…..don’t you see that???
Every e-mail she sent from any computer that was owned by the government is public property.
It is impossible for anyone who uses a government-owned computer to not know that. You get briefed - in writing and by means of a face-to-face conversation - before you even get to touch a government-owned computer. You also get reminded of it every time you sign on to a government-owned computer.
I would like to know how many government-owned laptops, phones, and blackberries are in her home.
Every one of them is subject to review.
It protects "the people", not the government. The people have rights. The government has powers.
That is a matter of public record.
They are in violation of the law for not disclosing them, her rights have been more than protected.
I'm sure Elijah Cummings would agree. I want Lerner to receive as much consideration as I would if I were withholding information from the IRS. The woman is being investigated, not as a private citizen, but rather, in her capacity as a government agent who, by her own admission, placed illegitimate government pressure on private citizens. WE ARE THE VICTIMS OF THIS CRIME. . no crocodile tears for Lois.
I don’t think Lerner is a “people”, I think she is a government employee who needs to answer to her employer, the American people. We need the truth in this matter and if she and others conspired to silence American citizens unlawfully, she and the others involved need to pay.
Does my employer have a right to look at my company emails?
Nice sentiment... but wrong. She was our employee. Those emails belong to us. We're not going after her personal papers, effects or emails. We want the emails that she sent as part of her official position as a taxpayer employee.
Emails, and documents written on government computers, or from personal accounts conducting official business aren't 'private'. Neither are phone conversations over government telephone accounts.
The communications of any sort she engages in in her official capacity are not subject to 4th Amendment protection. Her personal emails, phone calls, etc., would be a different matter entirely.
Anyone who uses a government computer is informed every time they log in that their usage is subject to monitoring.
I don’t think her work stuff should be protected. The 4th Amendment protects us from the government. When she was at the IRS, she was the government. Any “work” she did was supposed to be for the people and should not be protected.
This is where your argument falls apart
“unreasonable”
There is nothing unreasonable about this investigation.
….where did you go?
Don’t you think the body of evidence gathered so far has moved these searches into the province of reasonable?
An e-mail on a government computer is the property of the government. If you want "personal" effects, then don't use the government computer.
Lois Lerner went after the Tea Party using government equipment. She has NO privacy interest in those e-mails. Those were public documents the moment they were sent.
NONE!
If this was a Conservative official who emailed BIBLE verses, you bet your life they’d have ZERO respect for ‘privacy’ and drum them out A.S.A.P.
when a Lernerite does govt emailing on a govt computer on govt-paid time and in the performance of her duties issues orders and communicates work orders to other govt officials and employees, the resulting orders and documents are not “her” papers and effects, but the property of the government
and other agents of the govt properly tasked with oversight have the right to them on behalf of the govt, aka “we the people”
there is no “right to privacy” when issuing work orders to other govt emplyoes doing govt work
at least there wasn’t before obamites started using govt offices and employees as tools of their private and partisan power (IRS. HHS. EPA. Parks. BLM. DOJ. etc)
The government emails in question are not her private property, just like her government issued computer & desk are not her private property.
Those items belong to the taxpayer just like your work emails belong to the company you work for.