On Wednesday Lois Lerner plead the 5th and refused to testify before congress. In her opening statement she said, “I have not done anything wrong. I have not broken any laws. I have not violated any IRS rules or regulations and have not provided false information to this or any other congressional committee.”
Tim Brown reported on Wednesday:
Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) expressed his regret that she decided to plead the Fifth. He then asked if she would at least verify that previous on-the-record statement were indeed hers. She did so.
take our poll - story continues belowCompleting this poll grants you access to DC Clothesline updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to this site's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.She was then asked by Chairman Issa to reconsider answering the committee’s questions, which her counsel advised her not to do.
As Issa sought to dismiss Lerner, Representative Trey Gowdy (R-SC) protested, pointing out the obvious:
“She just testified or waived her Fifth Amendment right to privilege. You don’t get to tell your side of the story and not be subjected to cross-examination. That’s not the way it works. She waived her right by issuing an opening state and ought to stand here and answer our questions.”
Gowdy’s statement brought applause from some. However, Issa went on to dismiss Lerner.
Thursday brought a whole new round of surprises. As reported by Fox News:
First she refused to testify. Now Lois Lerner, the IRS official at the center of the tax agency scandal, is refusing to resign, according to a top Republican senator.
Sources confirmed to Fox News earlier Thursday that Lerner, the head of the IRS division that oversaw the unit targeting conservative groups, had been placed on administrative leave, with pay.
But Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, claimed she was only put in that status after refusing to step down.
Once again Americans are left with no justice and another hefty tab. Though it is Lois Lerner’s right to seek protection of the 5th amendment, she represents an agency that was admittedly not concerned with the rights of their targets. So why should we be concerned with her rights? Don’t answer that. It’s simply a case of doing what is right and following The Constitution. But it tends to make one angry when these people shred The Constitution and then hide behind it.
And as things go in Washington… Now she not only gets to keep her job, at least for now, she also gets a paid vacation.
According to The National Review Lois Lerner averaged $185,000 in salary from 2009 through 2012. If my calculator can be trusted (it’s not IRS approved) she should enjoy a fairly nice vacation on approximately $3557.69 a week.
In stark contrast, the maximum weekly unemployment benefit in Washington D.C. is $405 for 2013. If they are going to pay her at all, that is the rate she should be paid in my opinion. She is unemployed temporarily so why not?
That would make too much sense. Common sense can not be trusted in Washington D.C. We have to rely on IRS officials like Lois Lerner who admits, “I am not good at math.”
Does anyone else see a problem here?
