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New Oversight report claims Lois Lerner misled Congress on IRS targeting
Washington Examiner ^ | 3-11-2014 | Susan Ferrichio

Posted on 03/11/2014 10:18:46 AM PDT by smoothsailing

POLITICS: PennAve

New Oversight report claims Lois Lerner misled Congress on IRS targeting

BY SUSAN FERRECHIO | MARCH 11, 2014 AT 12:23 PM

A GOP-led House panel Tuesday released an extensive report that attempts to show former top Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner lied to Congress about her involvement in the targeting of conservative groups seeking tax exempt status.

Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said the 141-page report “offers detailed evidence about steps she took to crack down on organizations that exercised their Constitutional rights to free political speech.”

The report comes as Issa weighs whether the committee should vote on holding Lerner in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify before the panel about the targeting activity.

Republicans claim she waived her Fifth Amendment rights by reading a statement proclaiming her innocence at a hearing last year.

The report does not include any of the Lerner emails the IRS recently promised to turn over to the House Ways and Means Committee, but Oversight apparently had enough material to determine, according to Issa, that Lerner “misled Congress about targeting and her own conduct.”

The top Democrat on the panel, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., has accused Issa of turning Lerner into a political target. He is expected to release a statement shortly in response to the report.

Among the findings in the report:

— Lerner, in emails to other IRS officials, wrote about ways to highlight the agency's scrutiny of Tea Party applicants, despite secrecy laws, by provoking groups to challenge IRS rulings in a court case.

— She called for a Washington, D.C.-based, “multi-tier review” for Tea Party groups applying for tax exempt status. “A D.C. IRS employee said this level of scrutiny had no precedent,” the report notes.

— Lerner references “the fabulously rich and hugely influential” Koch brothers, who are GOP donors, in asserting that the agency needed to cautiously conduct a “project” scrutinizing groups seeking 501(c)(4) tax exempt status. The code references the tax exempt category conservative and Tea Party groups were requesting from the IRS.

— Lerner broke IRS rules by using her personal email account to handle protected taxpayer information.

— Lerner expressed concern that the Supreme Court ruling leading to the increase of 501(c)(4) tax-exempt groups would hurt Democratic senators seeking re-election in 2012. The IRS was expected to fix the problem, Lerner wrote.

“The Supreme Court dealt a huge blow, overturning a 100-year old precedent that basically corporations couldn't give directly to political campaigns,” Lerner wrote. “And everyone is up in arms because they don't like it. The Federal Election Commission can't do anything about it. They want the IRS to fix the problem.”


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government
KEYWORDS: irsteapartyscandal; issa; issareport; lerner; lernerlies; loislerner; oversightreport
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To: smoothsailing
"When the law no longer protects you from the corrupt,
but protects the corrupt from you -
you know your nation is doomed."

-Ayn Rand

21 posted on 03/11/2014 10:47:50 AM PDT by Diogenesis
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To: ilovesarah2012
Immunity for more lies? Why would anyone believe anything she says? Hold her in contempt and put her in jail.

Well.. if she lies on the stand, she'll face a much clearer charge of perjury.

22 posted on 03/11/2014 10:48:24 AM PDT by ScottinVA (Obama is so far in over his head, even his ears are beneath the water level.)
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To: Democrat_media

Conservative groups had to wait months or more than a year to have their applications processed.

Meanwhile, Lerner granted the Barrack H Obama Foundation, owned by Malik Obama an alien resident with documented ties to terrorist organizations, 501(c)(3) status. That status was granted in 34 days, on Sunday June 26, 2011 and was retroactive 38 months.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/irs-stalled-conservative-groups-but-gave-speedy-approval-to-obama-foundation/2013/05/16/90c53e8a-be57-11e2-89c9-3be8095fe767_story.html

http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/14/irs-official-lerner-approved-exemption-for-obama-brothers-charity/

http://www.wnd.com/2013/08/obamas-brother-linked-to-muslim-brotherhood/


23 posted on 03/11/2014 10:49:26 AM PDT by Ray76 (How modern liberals think: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaE98w1KZ-c)
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To: ilovesarah2012

Maybe she’ll be able to provide more hard and direct incriminating information such as emails and telephone communications (if they haven’t been destroyed yet of course). Her testimony may not be necessary; just her knowledge of where and what things are hidden.


24 posted on 03/11/2014 10:49:33 AM PDT by dhs12345
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To: dhs12345
Better yet: Threaten her with prosecution and offer her immunity if she turns over everything. This scandal is much bigger than her and we need a full accounting.

YES. Obama is responsible for the IRS oppressing American citizens. this USSA under Obama is not a civilized country that does something like this IRS oppression. you have to travel back to primitive savagery times, before the days of the Magna Carta to see such evil and barbarism as from this Obama administration the IRS oppression which is only 1 example of many crimes against humanity. And we as men sit on our couches. give me liberty or Give me death! Us men from Louisiana and the South will not stand for this tyranny

25 posted on 03/11/2014 10:51:30 AM PDT by Democrat_media (Obama ordered IRS to rig 2012 election and must resign)
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To: ScottinVA
Today's politicians no longer feel bound by the law, especially perjury, because nobody can bring them up on charges anymore.

They are the most protected of the protected classes.

-PJ

26 posted on 03/11/2014 10:52:18 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too (If you are the Posterity of We the People, then you are a Natural Born Citizen.)
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To: smoothsailing
Issa is a yellow coward and will do nothing. Lerner should be charged with contempt immediately. Instead this jackass Issa wants to delay to get more information on how high the IRS thing goes. That is bull shi!. Put this Lerner rotten piece of lying garbage in jail since Issa is going no where.
27 posted on 03/11/2014 10:53:00 AM PDT by Logical me
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To: bigbob

The Ways and Means Committee began investigating acts of potential political discrimination nearly two years ago on June 3, 2011. The investigation was initiated after concerns were raised that individuals were being targeted by the IRS.

https://waysandmeans.house.gov/forms/form/?ID=2538


28 posted on 03/11/2014 10:53:35 AM PDT by smoothsailing
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To: bigbob

“nearly two years ago” should read “nearly three years ago”.


29 posted on 03/11/2014 10:58:13 AM PDT by smoothsailing
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To: molson209

The US government is *full* of criminals. And not all of them have (D) after their names.

After what I’ve read regarding Boner today, I have no doubt he is in collusion with Obama.

The majority of Pubblies in the capital are being blackmailed by Obama’s people. And the ones that aren’t, are being leaned on by the ones that are.

Read my lips:

There will be NO relief in courts for unconstitutional laws/actions, NO pursuit of criminal activities.

There will be NO legislative relief of the assault on our Constitutional liberties - by either party. Just the opposite, they are going to double down.

There will be NO substantive action taken by congress against the continuing illegal EOs coming out of the White House.

Amnesty IS going to happen.

Draw your own conclusions as to what options for redress are open to the American people.


30 posted on 03/11/2014 10:58:20 AM PDT by ChildOfThe60s ((If you can remember the 60s.....you weren't really there)
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To: Democrat_media
Above and beyond everything else, the integrity of the democratic process must be maintained. Or at least, the perception of integrity. And that includes punishing those who have tried to illegally circumvent the process. Seems like Nixon was punished for something similar. So apparently we do take it seriously (when it suits our needs).

Once the electorate no longer trust the democratic process, then the end is indeed near.

31 posted on 03/11/2014 11:02:04 AM PDT by dhs12345
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To: ScottinVA
What in the hell has Issa so frightened of charging Lerner with contempt?

When you hook a large-mouth bass, you don't just yank on the line to drag it in -- you play it to wear it out.

32 posted on 03/11/2014 11:03:02 AM PDT by Cincinatus (Omnia relinquit servare Rempublicam)
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To: smoothsailing
A civilized country does not do something like this IRS oppression of American citizens

Obama is responsible for the IRS discriminating against conservatives and rigging the election by not allowing conservative political groups from participating in the elections of 2012 and beyond

Obama is a criminal a million times over, the socialist cretin

America is supposed to be the freest country on Earth where the fundamental right if for Americans to participate in the political process. and Obama unleashes this evil savagery upon us. marxist Bolsheviks(democrats) have taken over America and the media and make slaves and fools of us once free men

Obama is responsible for the IRS oppressing American citizens. this USSA under Obama is not a civilized country that does something like this IRS oppression. you have to travel back to primitive savagery times, before the days of the Magna Carta to see such evil and barbarism as from this Obama administration the IRS oppression which is only 1 example of many crimes against humanity. And we as men sit on our couches. give me liberty or Give me death! Us men from Louisiana and the South will not stand for this tyranny

33 posted on 03/11/2014 11:03:46 AM PDT by Democrat_media (Obama ordered IRS to rig 2012 election and must resign)
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To: Political Junkie Too

I wonder if Scooter Libby would agree.


34 posted on 03/11/2014 11:06:32 AM PDT by dhs12345
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To: dhs12345

Yes, I agree.

A civilized country does not do something like this IRS oppression of American citizens. and the news media ignores it.

Obama is responsible for the IRS discriminating against conservatives and rigging the election by preventing conservative political groups from participating in the elections of 2012 and beyond

Obama is a criminal a million times over, the socialist cretin

America is supposed to be the freest country on Earth where the fundamental right is the RIGHT of Americans to participate in the political process. and socialist Obama unleashes this evil savagery upon us to rig the election. marxist Bolsheviks(democrats) have taken over America and the media and make slaves and fools of us once free men


35 posted on 03/11/2014 11:10:04 AM PDT by Democrat_media (Obama ordered IRS to rig 2012 election and must resign)
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To: smoothsailing

Just think if this happened under Bush’s watch.

All hell would be breaking loose.


36 posted on 03/11/2014 11:10:41 AM PDT by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal the 16th Amendment)
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To: smoothsailing
Lerner broke IRS rules FEDERAL LAWS by using her personal email account to handle protected taxpayer information.
37 posted on 03/11/2014 11:13:16 AM PDT by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal the 16th Amendment)
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To: Democrat_media

It doesn’t look good does it? At least we are able to speculate about the facts of this case and hopefully keep pushing for a full accounting.

If we lived in Chechnya, we’d probably be dead. Murdered in the streets.


38 posted on 03/11/2014 11:21:17 AM PDT by dhs12345
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To: Diogenesis

Heya, Dio — check your FReepmail. I think you accidentally sent me a FReepmail intended for someone else. :^)


39 posted on 03/11/2014 11:31:40 AM PDT by Finny (Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. -- Psalm 119:105)
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To: unixfox
Absolutely, it would probably be enough to get Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford to do another movie together:

All the President's Women


40 posted on 03/11/2014 11:32:06 AM PDT by smoothsailing
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