Posted on 03/08/2014 9:22:18 AM PST by Be Careful
(Snip) This country has seen far too much of this sort of dismissal of Congresss authority. There is a simple way to avoid a constitutional showdown: If Congress holds witnesses in contempt, the Justice Department should enforce the subpoenas. Mr. Mukasey would need to focus not on the White Houses interests, but rather on his duty to ensure that the laws are faithfully executed.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Aside: Does the imprisonment last only for the duration of the Congress in session?
Perhaps Issa should subpeona the author of this article and have him read it aloud into the Congressional Record.
One thousand dollar fine and 12 months in prison is maximum for contempt of congress, a misdemeanor.
I found this to be interesting...Per wiki: Concerned with the time-consuming nature of a contempt proceeding and the inability to extend punishment further than the session of the Congress concerned (under Supreme Court rulings), Congress created a statutory process in 1857.
Therefore, it seems as if this tactic for the now would be moot, since this Congress comes to an end in January...not much time to create a coercive effect...and would probably end up creating a Media Martyr Star instead.
Congress of both parties is too gutless to assert its Constitutional primacy.
[Homer] D'oh!!!! [/Homer]
Looks like the democRATS are always going to want a black president, black attorney general, and rat majority senate. That way they can’t lose.
I think Lois Lerner should have been perp walked directly from the panel room where she pulled that 5A BS and slammed in the jail cell until she saw the light.
100% correct!
>> Does the imprisonment last only for the duration of the Congress in session?
Under the inherent contempt power Congress may imprison a person for a specific period of time or an indefinite period of time, except a person imprisoned by the House of Representatives may not be imprisoned beyond adjournment of a session of Congress.
Statutory criminal contempt is an alternative to inherent contempt.
Thanks....which entity would control the statutory criminal contempt..if DOJ, then no net sum gain here
Adam Cohen of the New York Times needs to write about this...
The IRS Conservative Targeting Scandal:
Hundreds of conservative groups were targeted
At least 5 pro-Israel groups
Constitutional groups
Groups that criticized Obama administration
At least two pro-life groups
An 83 year-old Nazi concentration camp survivor
A 180 year-old Baptist paper
A Texas voting-rights group
A Hollywood conservative group was targeted and harassed
Conservative activists and businesses
At least one conservative Hispanic group
IRS continued to target groups even after the scandal was exposed
And
100% of the 501(c)(4) Groups Audited by IRS Were Conservative
There is NO EVIDENCE that a single liberal group went through the same scrutiny as conservative groups.
What the hell is wrong with this country to put up with this?
list from Dogbert41
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