IRS Scandal Update – 23 May 2013
Update on events in the ongoing IRS scandal over the last 24 hours:
- The current head of the IRS Tax Exempt Divison, Lois Lerner, invoked the 5th Amendment in testifying in front of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee yesterday – but did so after making an opening statement giving her side of the story.
- Making that statement may well have been a mistake, though. There is substantial thought in legal circles that making an opening statement during testimony constitutes a waiver of 5th Amendment rights. On further consideration, Chairman Dan Issa of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee apparently agrees. He plans to recall Lerner to testify again.
- Lerner’s conduct some 15 years or so ago as a chief of enforcement for the Federal Election Commission is now also getting fresh scrutiny. The conduct of her subordinates then is also troubling, and may be relevant to the current IRS scandal. In the 1990s, lawyers working for Ms. Lerner in one investigation of a conservative Christian group asked some irrelevant and troubling questions about religion and prayer while taking depositions. Sound familiar?
- The IRS’s internal investigation into discrimination against conservative groups by the Tax Exempt division was completed in May 2012, but apparently was deliberately concealed from Congress until after the 2012 elections.
- White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler was briefed in general terms about the pending Treasury IG investigation of the scandal in late April 2013, and shared that information informally with the White House Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough and some others on the senior staff. Senior White House staff had further discussions with Treasury department officials concerning the matter afterwards. However, supposedly no one told the POTUS anything for about two weeks – allegedly because Ruemmler and McDonough agreed it wasn’t something that should be brought to the POTUS’s attention. (For what it’s worth, at least one person who’s previously worked in the White House Chief of Staff’s office for two years says the claim that the White House Chief of Staff and Chief Counsel would agree to keep the POTUS in the dark on such an issue “very odd”, going so far as to call that claim “the most curious whopper I’ve heard so far” about the scandal.)
- Even Democratic Representatives appear to be losing patience. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, D-MA, indicated during the hearings yesterday that withholding information or dancing around questions would result in “hell to pay” and also stated: “We know where that will lead. It will lead to a special prosecutor.”
Oh well. Bottom line: it seems like nothing much happened yesterday except for rather infuriating obfuscation and tap-dancing on the part of Administration officials.
I’d swear I’ve seen something like this before. When was it? What was that quote . . . ?
Oh, yeah – I remember now.
“I don’t give a shit what happens. I want you all to stonewall it, let them plead the Fifth Amendment, cover up or anything else if it’ll save it – save the plan. That’s the whole point . . . We’re going to protect our people, if we can.”
But remember: nothing to see here, folks. Everything is fine; everything’s under control. Move along.
Category: "Your Tax Dollars At Work", Crime, Politics
What happened to “I will run the most transparent administration in history”?…piece of marxist maoist alinskyite trash…
I love how they’re running cover for Bodaprez…”Naw, he didn’t know nuthin!” And the Dems are only playing the “HARRUMPH!” card because they know full well how this, the gun grabs, and other abuses of power facing them now is going to play out next year.
I’m already hearing Senator Shaheen trying desperately to spin her involvement in “investigation” of conservative groups. Uh, Jeanne? Ain’t workin. And you’re up for re-election next year. Enjoy having been a one-term Senator, unless the people of NH have gone completely stupid.
“I don’t give a shit what happens.” I thought that sounded familiar, too.
No, Richard Nixon was NOT a crook. He was paranoid and out for revenge.
No, Bill Clinton did not have sex with that girl. He had a blowjob and had sex with her blue dress.
No, Bodaprez (probably) does not know a thing because he (most likely) left instructions to keep him uninformed. “Just use your best judgement. We trust you.” *from Risky Business* Yes, that is the royal ‘we’ usage.
I hope they actually do get to the bottom of this. I hope the people involved lose their jobs over it and can’t find work, just like the rest of the population who can’t find work, or go to jail over it.
I’m not nostalgic for some ‘good old days of yore’ kind of thing, but these past five years have been disturbing.
(I’m being polite.)
I hope no one loses sight of the fact that when this latest scandal broke, the administration’s position, as articulated by then-IRS (Acting) Chief Miller, was that two rogue IRS agents in Cincinnati were behind the targeting of Tea Party and other conservative groups. Now, as a cabinet member, it is possible that he just threw that out there without first speaking with anyone in the White House. I mean, it’s not as if cabinet members consult with 1600 about potentially politically disastrous issues before speaking to the press about them. Look at Benghazi. Same thing happened. Clinton (Wide Load, not Sperm Stain) just winged it too. Though not a cabinet member, Susan Rice did the same thing. Gosh, poor obamaman, all these folks gettin’ him in trouble, and all he wants is a good night’s sleep and to radically transform America.
It is just disturbing that people cannot draw the line and understand that someone who allows this to go on without his “knowledge” is incompetent and someone who did is corrupt. I don’t look forward to a Joe Biden presidency, but sometimes it is time to say what it is.
I guess hoping that the IRS burns is too much?
There is a permanent investigative committee. And I do remember when the IRS was told to not be quite so abrasive in its audits. It was a while back. I believe it was a Thursday in 2004.
Remember the events that led to 1775. An abusive Government that taxed without citizen control and attempted to disarm the citizenry got more than they bargained for.
How well did that go for the Powers-in-Charge?
History may not repeat itself, but it certainly rhymes.
Here we go, seeing another bucket of Chicago politics from B. Hussein 0bama & Co.. Are these dhimmicrat pols going to do anything other than tap dance for a few days and then rally around the 0bamatollah, drooling all over him? Ditto with the snooze media!?
The President knew about this investigation back in May of 2012, when the IG report was completed. That this whole thing was kept from congress until after the election is just business as usual for this crokked SOB and his minions. Benghazi was poo-poo’ed as well, because it was just before the election. These crooked bastards think they are above the law and the standard answer of “I didn’t know anything” isn’t going to work, anymore. Why is it, when it’s something positive, the President and his dog washers are all over it cackling how Obumbles is such a great leader, how he took charge of the situation, blah, blah, blah. But, when it’s negative, he’s transformed into Sergeant Schultz and knows nuthin about anything? Take the Bin Laden raid; we were subjected to all sorts of crowing by the left. They made it sound like Obumbles popped the cap in his ass, personally. We got to see a picture of obumbles in the situation room during the raid looking all intense. Benghazi happens and no one knows shit. Fast and Furious happens and no one knows anything i.e. it was a low level flunky that did it. Same with the IRS thing; it was a couple of low level flunkies and we knew nothing about it. The AP phone and email records; we didn’t know a damn thing.
Nope, this lying POS and his lying POS minions all need to go to jail.
I’m convinced there are nothing but amatuers in D.C.
Let’s see – there’s the president, his staff, the State Department, much of the DoD, IRS, and now, Lois Lerner and her attorney.
&11, USMCE8: To me, it’s more like a bunch of sickeningly CONCEITED amateurs. I feel like I need another belt of Bourbon every time I hear about another one of their stunts!
I remember when I was audited in June 2010, I had joined the FB Tea Party, went to the Tax Day Tea Party in Apr 2009, I was sitting in the office of H&R Block and they were just jam packed. I had come in thinking that it would be slow because in June it’s well passed tax season. I ended up at another office nearby to get it all squared away because it was so crazy. I wonder if H&R might have some stats that could prove useful in seeing if they targeted John Q. Citizens for just be affiliated with the groups. Just an FYI.
That sound you hear? It’s the sound of the Democrats power slowly leaking away, Americans are sometimes a lazy and slow to react electorate. P1ss them off enough however and a lame duck president gets 24 months of pretty much being unable to do much beyond smile and talk to foreign heads of state because they lose both houses and sometimes lose enough to make their veto power irrelevant, which is my fervent desire for the next election…
@12 – I’ll join you with the bourbon. My only hope is that someone (or a group of people) will eventually expose them for who they are, hold them accountable and squash them.
Maybe only then will the country start in the direction of being fixed.
Under such scandal-ridden circumstances, nothing says “trust me” like invoking the Fifth.
Would’t be nice to erode the Fifth for Libtards the same as Libtards have eroded the Second for Citizens??
“No, you’re not protected from not saying that, you MUST incriminate yourself.”
When you put clowns in charge don’t be surprised if a circus breaks out. If this was caused by a “couple of rouge agents” how come they have not been named?
House Oversight e-mails: IRS IG report was originally supposed to be released … last September? posted at 1:21 pm on May 22, 2013 by Allahpundit See for yourself. Issa’s committee was told last year that the report would be ready in September, two months before the election. Eight months later, the bomb finally dropped. Why? Did the IG initially underestimate the volume of malfeasance and how long it would take to dig it up? Or are there other, more cynical reasons? Even if the report wasn’t ready, Issa claims the IG had a statutory obligation to keep Congress updated on its findings as they were made. He didn’t. Why not? Issa is referring to part of the Inspector General Act that requires watchdogs to report serious problems to Congress through the head of an agency within seven days. It’s known as the “seven-day rule” — but it’s often used sparingly. The Oversight Committee asked the inspector general about conservative group targeting a number of times, and Issa read some of the emails in the hearing Wednesday. George also raised concerns that incremental information provided to lawmakers would ultimately leak to the public. “That is not fair to the people we are investigating,” George said. Issa responded that the White House is the source of plenty of leaks as well. Issa himself said a few days ago that he knew last year “approximately” what would be in the report, but it’s one thing to think you know based on a leak and another for the IG to confirm it with an update. Here’s the real question: Why was George, the IG, reluctant to release “incremental information” when the IRS itself had concluded in May 2012 that its anti-conservative criteria for tax-exempt orgs were FUBAR? Didn’t his office specifically say they’d keep the committee updated? (“We would be happy to provide a status update to the Subcommittee staff and provide a copy of our interim and final reports on the matter when they are issued.”) Note: The IG’s update that Issa is referring to is the IG report Dated May 14, 2013.… Read more »
House Oversight e-mails: IRS IG report was originally supposed to be released … last September? posted at 1:21 pm on May 22, 2013 by Allahpundit See for yourself. Issa’s committee was told last year that the report would be ready in September, two months before the election. Eight months later, the bomb finally dropped. Why? Did the IG initially underestimate the volume of malfeasance and how long it would take to dig it up? Or are there other, more cynical reasons? Even if the report wasn’t ready, Issa claims the IG had a statutory obligation to keep Congress updated on its findings as they were made. He didn’t. Why not? Issa is referring to part of the Inspector General Act that requires watchdogs to report serious problems to Congress through the head of an agency within seven days. It’s known as the “seven-day rule” — but it’s often used sparingly. The Oversight Committee asked the inspector general about conservative group targeting a number of times, and Issa read some of the emails in the hearing Wednesday. George also raised concerns that incremental information provided to lawmakers would ultimately leak to the public. “That is not fair to the people we are investigating,” George said. Issa responded that the White House is the source of plenty of leaks as well. Issa himself said a few days ago that he knew last year “approximately” what would be in the report, but it’s one thing to think you know based on a leak and another for the IG to confirm it with an update. Here’s the real question: Why was George, the IG, reluctant to release “incremental information” when the IRS itself had concluded in May 2012 that its anti-conservative criteria for tax-exempt orgs were FUBAR? Didn’t his office specifically say they’d keep the committee updated? (“We would be happy to provide a status update to the Subcommittee staff and provide a copy of our interim and final reports on the matter when they are issued.”) Note: The IG’s update that Issa is referring to is the IG report Dated May 14, 2013.… Read more »
House Oversight e-mails: IRS IG report was originally supposed to be released … last September? posted at 1:21 pm on May 22, 2013 by Allahpundit See for yourself. Issa’s committee was told last year that the report would be ready in September, two months before the election. Eight months later, the bomb finally dropped. Why? Did the IG initially underestimate the volume of malfeasance and how long it would take to dig it up? Or are there other, more cynical reasons? Even if the report wasn’t ready, Issa claims the IG had a statutory obligation to keep Congress updated on its findings as they were made. He didn’t. Why not? Issa is referring to part of the Inspector General Act that requires watchdogs to report serious problems to Congress through the head of an agency within seven days. It’s known as the “seven-day rule” — but it’s often used sparingly. The Oversight Committee asked the inspector general about conservative group targeting a number of times, and Issa read some of the emails in the hearing Wednesday. George also raised concerns that incremental information provided to lawmakers would ultimately leak to the public. “That is not fair to the people we are investigating,” George said. Issa responded that the White House is the source of plenty of leaks as well. Issa himself said a few days ago that he knew last year “approximately” what would be in the report, but it’s one thing to think you know based on a leak and another for the IG to confirm it with an update. Here’s the real question: Why was George, the IG, reluctant to release “incremental information” when the IRS itself had concluded in May 2012 that its anti-conservative criteria for tax-exempt orgs were FUBAR? Didn’t his office specifically say they’d keep the committee updated? (“We would be happy to provide a status update to the Subcommittee staff and provide a copy of our interim and final reports on the matter when they are issued.”) Note: The IG’s update that Issa is referring to is the IG report Dated May 14, 2013.… Read more »
I see all of this and laugh. I so love hypocrites like this when they whine and cry about how “Government needs transparency!” How’s that working out for you Barry? The man knew what was going on, either that or Joe Biden should apply for the Einstein chair at Princeton. The rumblings you are hearing is the laughter of Richard Nixon from the great beyond.
Posting the same thing 3X using 3 different monikers is supposed to make it seem more credible?? Whatever.
Meanwhile, the little stunt about testifying then taking the 5th does allow her cover for actually telling the truth later. Or whatever her testimony will eventually be.
Not quite as good as wide load not having to take an oath, but maybe now she is protected from retaliation from the thugs? Or maybe from some of them??
Just playing Devil’s Advocate here for a moment and throwing this out there as a counter-thought.
What if Ms. Lerner — knowing full well that she was about to be thrown under the bus, and having been told to plead the 5th Amendment — deliberately made her opening statements before pleading the 5th Amendment so that she could be compelled to testify in the future?
I, for one, really am looking forward to her future testimony when she’s recalled. I’m extremely curious to see if she refuses to testify and is held in contempt or if she actually starts naming names.
Anyway, just a thought.
NEWS FLASH: And this just in on the afternoon news.
Ms. Lerner has been placed on administrative leave.
That’s all I have for now.
@24 Here comes the bus.
@25 – And a book contract.
I sure hope she’s been taking stuff home from her files and sending herself e-mails, then deleting them. 😉
MS. Lerner has her instructions from the De facto Prez…er, I mean VJ, Teh Special Assistant to Teh POTUS. Yes have a fall, bump your head, and suddenly just can’t remember sh*t…
NEWS FLASH!!!!!!!! Per noon news on WGN today:
Ms. Lerner’s 5th Amendment plea has been revoked. She will be required to re-appear in front of the Committee after Memorial Day weekend.
I hope this means that she’s toast.