The House Oversight Committee voted 22-17 on a resolution Friday stating that Lois Lerner waived her Fifth Amendment rights when she made an opening statement while appearing before the committee in May.
Lerner is the Internal Revenue Service official at the center of the agency's targeting of conservative and tea party groups applying for non-profit status. She began her testimony before the committee in May by making a statement and then invoking her Fifth Amendment rights.
The committee voted along party lines with Democrats saying the statement had not waived her rights.
Committee chairman Darrell Issa said at the opening of the committee's meeting Friday that Lois Lerner waived her Fifth Amendment rights when she testified before the committee in May.
"She did so when she delivered an opening statement," Issa said, Fox News reports.
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While have nothing but contempt for Lois Lerner and the entire IRS I am forced to disagree with this decision.
ReplyDeleteAmendment V
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
Much as I hate to support Lois Lerner or anyone from the IRS I am deeply troubled by the ease which Republicans decided to strip this right. For me, these rights to mean everything they must be absolute. The idea that politicians can interpret them as needed scares the hell out of me.
Badger
All I know is that Gowdy jumped right on it after she read her statement. He was both a DA and a federal prosecutor before and I have never heard someone who pled the fifth make a statement before doing such.
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