The U.S. House of Representatives has just pass a bill that would hold former IRS official Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress for pleading the Fifth Amendment, and refusing to answer questions regarding the tax agency’s targeting of tax exempt organizations, namely conservative “Tea party” groups.
Democrats are calling foul here, saying that Lerner had the right to plead the Fifth Amendment, but Republicans say that she waived that right after delivering an detailed opening statement at her hearing, before invoking her right against self-incrimination.The House also voted 250-168 to approve a resolution the calls on Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint an special independent counsel to look into the IRS probe of these organizations.
Fat chance this will happen, as the Department of Justice has already brushed off contempt charges waged against Eric Holder himself.
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Congressional Democrats contend that Holder has already been investigating the IRS, but Republicans like Florida Congressman Bill Posey are quick to point out that the person appointed to lead the investigation into the IRS is a “partisan Democrat,” who has donated to President Obama’s past campaigns.
“Earlier this year I led an effort with the support of over fifty of my House colleagues demanding that Attorney General Eric Holder appoint an independent special prosecutor to investigate these IRS abuses.
Instead, A.G. Holder has appointed a partisan Democrat to lead the Justice Department’s internal investigation who has donated thousands of dollars to the President’s campaign and other Democrat campaigns. This is completely unacceptable.-Rep. Bill Posey (R)
Democrat Congressman Alcee Hastings of Florida, who In 1988 was impeached by the Congress for impeached for bribery and perjury, took issue with the Lerner vote, saying that “we should get off their (IRS) backs,” and that the real scandal was the Republican effort of “looking for scandal when there is no scandal.”
Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz recently sent a letter to AG Holder, asking him again to appoint a special independent counsel to look into “the illegal targeting program conducted by staff at the Internal Revenue Service in direct communication with the Department of Justice.”“Lois Lerner has obstructed Congressional inquiries into her role in the illicit targeting of conservative groups by the IRS. I fully support holding her in contempt of Congress for her refusal to answer questions surrounding the malfeasance of the IRS.
Furthermore, the same Department of Justice that inquired into the possibility of using criminal prosecutions against conservative groups has produced zero results after a year’s worth of investigation into the IRS abuses. The appointment of a special prosecutor is long overdue.”-Rep.Ron DeSantis (R)