mrsat_98
04-05-2014, 06:53 AM
http://www.capitalisminstitute.org/special-prosecutor-for-obama-and-lerner/
Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) is calling for a special prosecutor to investigate both President Obama and former IRS official Lois Lerner, to determine the entirety of their roles in the IRS targeting scandal.
Jordan joins the chorus of voices demanding a special prosecutor, like Ted Cruz and Trey Gowdy.
Obama infamously stated that there isn’t even a “smidgen” of corruption in the IRS, but emails and sworn testimony have revealed quite the opposite.
Jim Jordan, a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, recently wrote an op-ed piece that was published in the Wall Street Journal. He says:
I have spent a considerable amount of time and energy on the investigation—which included 38 daylong interviews of IRS and Treasury employees ranging from line employees in Cincinnati to the IRS commissioner to the chief of staff of the U.S. Treasury. The real news has been revealed at the Lois Lerner hearing on March 5 and in the report of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on March 11: “Lois Lerner’s Involvement in the IRS Targeting of Tax-Exempt Organizations.”
When Ms. Lerner appeared before Congress in May 2013, she made this statement: “I have done nothing wrong. I have not broken any laws. I have not violated any IRS rules or regulations.” But Ms. Lerner, we discovered, forwarded confidential taxpayer information to her personal email account in early May 2013, which is a violation of IRS rules. About the infamous “Be on the Lookout” targeting list—a document used to identify conservative groups for additional scrutiny—she told Congress that the criteria for screening tax-exempt groups for extra scrutiny never changed. In fact, she personally ordered it changed in July 2011 according to documents and testimony received by the committee.
Sponsored links:
Jordan makes note of the political nature of Lerner’s actions and emails, discussing Citizens United, Karl Rove’s PAC, the “multi-tiered reviews” that were just delays, and Lerner trying to keep all of the targeting from appearing political. He then goes on to discuss her pleading the Fifth to Congress, but testifying before the DOJ “investigation”.
Last May, and again on March 5 of this year, Ms. Lerner refused to answer the committee’s questions about the IRS treatment of tax-exempt groups, asserting her right under the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination. Yet we learned on March 6 in reporting by this newspaper that she had previously given an interview to the Justice Department and, according to her lawyer, spoke with no grant of immunity.
Ms. Lerner’s lawyer claims she gave an interview to the Justice Department because she did not believe the Oversight Committee would treat her fairly. More likely, the reason is because Justice is friendly territory. The lead investigator is a substantial Obama campaign contributor, and Justice has already leaked that it doesn’t expect to prosecute anyone. As to the claim that liberal groups were also victimized, our committee investigation has yet to hear from a single progressive group that received the systematic scrutiny and harassment faced by the tea party and other conservative groups.
Jordan ends with pointing out the House’s responsibility of oversight over the executive branch. He says that his committee will not stop digging, although he fully expects the White House and Democrats to continue to obstruct his efforts at discovering the full truth.
When Congress is thwarted in our attempts to get answers—as is clearly the case given Ms. Lerner’s willingness to speak with the Justice Department but not to the public’s elected representatives—we have an obligation to hold accountable those hiding the facts. Contempt of Congress is a power the House of Representatives exercised toward only five individuals in the last 30 years. The relevant statute states that any person who “willfully makes default, or who, having appeared, refuses to answer any question pertinent to the question under inquiry” may be held in contempt. Ms. Lerner’s actions easily rise to a level worthy of contempt and Congress’s institutional integrity demands nothing less.
Additionally, it is necessary to appoint a special prosecutor. Mr. Holder called the IRS matter “outrageous and unacceptable” and ordered a Justice Department investigation to be conducted in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. No one can have confidence in this investigation, started by a politically appointed attorney general and led by a campaign contributor to his boss.
Representative Jim Jordan has laid out the evidence for why Lois Lerner should be held in contempt of Congress and prosecuted for perjury. He also calls for a special prosecutor to go around Eric Holder and the sham DOJ investigation led by a major Obama donor.
Jim Jordan is right. Lois Lerner needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and held accountable for her actions. Furthermore, there is a definite need for a special prosecutor and a real investigation of the IRS scandal, outside of the rigged and corrupt efforts by the Obama administration to cover up their illegal activities and wrongdoing.
Please share on Facebook and Twitter if you agree with Rep. Jim Jordan and think Lois Lerner should be prosecuted and the IRS investigated by an outside special prosecutor.
Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) is calling for a special prosecutor to investigate both President Obama and former IRS official Lois Lerner, to determine the entirety of their roles in the IRS targeting scandal.
Jordan joins the chorus of voices demanding a special prosecutor, like Ted Cruz and Trey Gowdy.
Obama infamously stated that there isn’t even a “smidgen” of corruption in the IRS, but emails and sworn testimony have revealed quite the opposite.
Jim Jordan, a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, recently wrote an op-ed piece that was published in the Wall Street Journal. He says:
I have spent a considerable amount of time and energy on the investigation—which included 38 daylong interviews of IRS and Treasury employees ranging from line employees in Cincinnati to the IRS commissioner to the chief of staff of the U.S. Treasury. The real news has been revealed at the Lois Lerner hearing on March 5 and in the report of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on March 11: “Lois Lerner’s Involvement in the IRS Targeting of Tax-Exempt Organizations.”
When Ms. Lerner appeared before Congress in May 2013, she made this statement: “I have done nothing wrong. I have not broken any laws. I have not violated any IRS rules or regulations.” But Ms. Lerner, we discovered, forwarded confidential taxpayer information to her personal email account in early May 2013, which is a violation of IRS rules. About the infamous “Be on the Lookout” targeting list—a document used to identify conservative groups for additional scrutiny—she told Congress that the criteria for screening tax-exempt groups for extra scrutiny never changed. In fact, she personally ordered it changed in July 2011 according to documents and testimony received by the committee.
Sponsored links:
Jordan makes note of the political nature of Lerner’s actions and emails, discussing Citizens United, Karl Rove’s PAC, the “multi-tiered reviews” that were just delays, and Lerner trying to keep all of the targeting from appearing political. He then goes on to discuss her pleading the Fifth to Congress, but testifying before the DOJ “investigation”.
Last May, and again on March 5 of this year, Ms. Lerner refused to answer the committee’s questions about the IRS treatment of tax-exempt groups, asserting her right under the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination. Yet we learned on March 6 in reporting by this newspaper that she had previously given an interview to the Justice Department and, according to her lawyer, spoke with no grant of immunity.
Ms. Lerner’s lawyer claims she gave an interview to the Justice Department because she did not believe the Oversight Committee would treat her fairly. More likely, the reason is because Justice is friendly territory. The lead investigator is a substantial Obama campaign contributor, and Justice has already leaked that it doesn’t expect to prosecute anyone. As to the claim that liberal groups were also victimized, our committee investigation has yet to hear from a single progressive group that received the systematic scrutiny and harassment faced by the tea party and other conservative groups.
Jordan ends with pointing out the House’s responsibility of oversight over the executive branch. He says that his committee will not stop digging, although he fully expects the White House and Democrats to continue to obstruct his efforts at discovering the full truth.
When Congress is thwarted in our attempts to get answers—as is clearly the case given Ms. Lerner’s willingness to speak with the Justice Department but not to the public’s elected representatives—we have an obligation to hold accountable those hiding the facts. Contempt of Congress is a power the House of Representatives exercised toward only five individuals in the last 30 years. The relevant statute states that any person who “willfully makes default, or who, having appeared, refuses to answer any question pertinent to the question under inquiry” may be held in contempt. Ms. Lerner’s actions easily rise to a level worthy of contempt and Congress’s institutional integrity demands nothing less.
Additionally, it is necessary to appoint a special prosecutor. Mr. Holder called the IRS matter “outrageous and unacceptable” and ordered a Justice Department investigation to be conducted in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. No one can have confidence in this investigation, started by a politically appointed attorney general and led by a campaign contributor to his boss.
Representative Jim Jordan has laid out the evidence for why Lois Lerner should be held in contempt of Congress and prosecuted for perjury. He also calls for a special prosecutor to go around Eric Holder and the sham DOJ investigation led by a major Obama donor.
Jim Jordan is right. Lois Lerner needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and held accountable for her actions. Furthermore, there is a definite need for a special prosecutor and a real investigation of the IRS scandal, outside of the rigged and corrupt efforts by the Obama administration to cover up their illegal activities and wrongdoing.
Please share on Facebook and Twitter if you agree with Rep. Jim Jordan and think Lois Lerner should be prosecuted and the IRS investigated by an outside special prosecutor.