Posted on 04/29/2014 3:41:19 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
The lawyer for former Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner sent a letter to House Republican leaders on Monday, asking for an opportunity to address the House ahead of a vote to hold his client in contempt of Congress.
"Holding Ms. Lerner in contempt would not only be unfair and, indeed, un-American, it would be flatly inconsistent with the Fifth Amendment as interpreted by the Supreme Court," Lerner's lawyer, William W. Taylor III, wrote in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.
Taylor requested "an opportunity to present to the House the reasons why it should not hold Ms. Lerner in contempt."
"No court will hold that she waived her privilege," Taylor said. "Supreme Court precedent is clear that a witness compelled to appear before a congressional committee does not waive her Fifth Amendment privilege by asserting her innocence."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Lerner: “I have done nothing wrong.”
Me: “Then you have NO REASON to assert the protections of the 5th Amendment.
But, more important than that, you have been answering questions posed the Justice Department. You can’t have it both ways. If you are cooperating with the Justice Department, you can cooperate with us.
But, most importantly, you are a public servant entrusted with safeguarding the rights of the American Public as it relates to issues within the IRS. The US Congress has oversight responsibility of the different arms of the Federal Government. The IRS is one of the most feared agencies in the government. You have a MORAL OBLIGATION as a public servant to give an accounting of your actions AS a public servant.
It is my considered opinion that your refusal to testify in front of this committee should result in the loss of your job, your retirement, and referral of criminal Obstruction of Justice charges to the Justice Department.
There’s a great deal of ground between, “I’m innocent.” and what Lerner actually said at the hearing.
It may be that simply asserting one’s innocence does NOT mean giving up one’s fifth amendment rights. However, delivering what amounts to a narrative of the actions in questions certainly does.
Won't work. She's not his type?
The shyster should save it for the trial.
She’s already retired with a cushy pension.
No Way.
Now she wants to send her shyster up to Congress to lie to them about how innocent she is. The smidgens are coming home to roost.
..... The smidgens are coming home to roost....
Well played!
Sorry. She forfeited her 5th Amendment Right with her opening statement. She lost.
I understand that she retired, but if there was malfeasance in the carrying out of her job, the government still has standing in pursuing her, since new information has arisen.
Perhaps her attorney needs to be reminded the 5th Amendment is part of the Bill of RIGHTS and not “privileges.”
She committed crimes against the American people at the behest of her employer, hussein. These people don’t believe that they work for us. Nothing will happen to her.
Her bum lawyer is just trying to defend the idiot DIM perp. My hope is that is in prison some time relatively soon for her crimes against the people.
“The lawyer for former Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner...”
Trey Gowdy will rip this drooling Nazi insect to pieces.
Truthfully I don’t believe the GOPe leadership has the spine to do anything. I also believe they are in agreement with the regime and want the TEA Party crushed.
That's completely disingenuous. She made a complete statement (IOW, testified on her own terms) and concluded by 'asserting her innocence'.
Won’t work. She’s not his type?
You mean she’s a typical white person?
Boss Hussein does not work for us, nor has he even more for a minute. Lerner was already ripe for the plucking when Hussein arrived.
Actually, I want her in PRISON doing hard time. What she did violates the most basic of freedoms, all under power of government for purely ideological/political reasons.
She needs to be made an example, extremely harshly.
NO! Hell NO!
If Congress permits this piece of garbage to address them in an attempt to stop contempt charges on his client, then it will clearly show that the Pubs in Congress are geldings!
They should tell her when to show up and, if she doesn’t or does and refuses to testify, the Capitol Police should arrest her and toss her into jail. ....Holder doesn’t have priority in such a situation.
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