Why wouldn’t they want to release the e-mails? This is the most transparent administration in history.
Why isn't Lois Lerner in jail?
Good question, according to Lois Lerner, she's as pure as the driven snow!
May 22, 2013 - Lois Lerner Statement to Congress (House Oversight and Government Affairs Committee).
MS. LERNER: Good morning, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. My name is Lois Lerner, and I’m the director of exempt organizations at the Internal Revenue Service. I have been a government employee for over 34 years.
I initially practiced law at the Department of Justice and later at the Federal Election Commission. In 2001 I became — I moved to the IRS to work in the exempt organizations office, and in 2006 I was promoted to be the director of that office.
Exempt organizations oversees about 1.6 million tax-exempt organizations and processes over 60,000 applications for tax exemption every year. As director, I’m responsible for about 900 employees nationwide and administer a budget of almost $100 million.
My professional career has been devoted to fulfilling responsibilities of the agencies for which I have worked, and I am very proud of the work that I have done in government.
On May 14th the Treasury inspector general released a report finding that the exempt organizations field office in Cincinnati, Ohio, used inappropriate criteria to identify for further review applications from organizations that planned to engage in political activity, which may mean that they did not qualify for tax exemption.
On that same day, the Department of Justice launched an investigation into the matters described in the inspector general’s report. In addition, members of this committee have accused me of providing false information when I responded to questions about the IRS processing of applications for tax exemption.
And while I would very much like to answer the committee’s questions today, I’ve been advised by my counsel to assert my constitutional right not to testify or answer questions related to the subject matter of this hearing. After very careful consideration, I’ve decided to follow my counsel’s advice and not testify or answer any of the questions today.
Because I’m asserting my right not to testify, I know that some people will assume that I’ve done something wrong. I have not. One of the basic functions of the Fifth Amendment is to protect innocent individuals, and that is the protection I’m invoking today.
Thank you.