|
2014-04-29 Home Front: Politix
|
|
Lois Lerner's Lawyer: Holding Her in Contempt Would Be 'Un-American'
|
[BLOGS.WSJ] A lawyer representing former Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner is requesting a chance to plead her case against a planned House vote to hold her in contempt of Congress.
On Friday, Majority Leader Eric Cantor said in a memo to members that the House of Representatives would vote in May to hold Ms. Lerner in contempt of Congress over her refusal to testify before a congressional committee about IRS targeting of conservative groups. Ms. Lerner headed the division that handled the groups' applications for tax-exempt status, and is at the center of congressional investigations.
Ms. Lerner has twice declined to testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, citing her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. GOP politicians argue that she waived her privilege by making a statement at the first hearing, professing her innocence of any wrongdoing.
They were further angered when it became known that Ms. Lerner gave a lengthy interview to the Justice Department about the matter. The committee approved a contempt resolution concerning Ms. Lerner earlier this month.
Ms. Lerner's lawyer, William Taylor III, said on Monday in a letter to GOP leaders that holding Ms. Lerner in contempt of Congress "would not only be unfair and, indeed, un-American, it would be flatly inconsistent with the Fifth Amendment as interpreted by the Supreme Court."
He cited legal precedents -- including some from the McCarthy era, when Congress went after alleged communists -- to show that courts have refused to uphold contempt-of-Congress citations against witnesses who decline to testify, citing their Fifth Amendment privilege. 
|
Posted by Fred 2014-04-29 00:00||
||
Front Page|| [11131 views ]
Top
|
|
Posted by Raj 2014-04-29 01:22||
2014-04-29 01:22||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by Redneck Jim 2014-04-29 03:35||
2014-04-29 03:35||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by Airandee 2014-04-29 06:56||
2014-04-29 06:56||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by P2Kontheroad 2014-04-29 07:13||
2014-04-29 07:13||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by PBMcL 2014-04-29 12:07||
2014-04-29 12:07||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by Barbara 2014-04-29 13:31||
2014-04-29 13:31||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by Ebbang Uluque6305 2014-04-29 14:16||
2014-04-29 14:16||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by PBMcL 2014-04-29 14:47||
2014-04-29 14:47||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by CrazyFool 2014-04-29 16:21||
2014-04-29 16:21||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by Alaska Paul 2014-04-29 23:07||
2014-04-29 23:07||
Front Page
Top
|
|
11:11 HeavyG
11:10 Angstrom
11:07 HeavyG
11:07 Angstrom
11:06 DarthVader
11:05 HeavyG
10:58 alanc
09:43 Mullah Richard
09:27 Warthog
09:11 Mercutio
09:07 AlmostAnonymous5839
08:52 Matt
08:24 Matt
08:20 SteveS
07:43 Procopius2k
07:42 BrerRabbit
07:42 Procopius2k
07:39 Procopius2k
07:36 Procopius2k
07:35 Procopius2k
07:34 trailing wife
07:31 Procopius2k
07:30 NN2N1
07:22 NN2N1
|
