House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa said it is “telling” that ex-IRS administrator Lois Lerner gave a media interview defending herself, even though she has refused to testify before Congress about her involvement in the agency’s alleged scheme to target conservative groups.
“The American people deserve the opportunity to hear Lois Lerner’s testimony under oath,” Issa said. “If Lerner had nothing to hide and did nothing wrong in the IRS targeting scandal, she would have chosen to answer basic questions about her conduct instead of obstructing Congress’ investigation.
Lerner told Politico she “didn’t do anything wrong” when she was head of the agency’s tax exempt division. Lerner, who is no longer at the agency, twice refused to testify before the Oversight Committee about her involvement in the targeting. Because of her refusal to testify, the panel, and then Congress, voted to hold her in contempt earlier this year.
“Her decision to make unsubstantiated claims to a media outlet while claiming Fifth Amendment protections from answering Congress’ questions is telling,” Issa, R-Calif., said in the statement. “She appears to have great confidence that her allies in the Obama administration will not consider legal action after she resigned and declined to discuss the IRS’ actions against private citizens.”
Democrats on Issa’s panel say the GOP investigation into the IRS is politically motivated and that there is no indication the IRS was singling out only conservative groups for special scrutiny.
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., a member of the Oversight panel, said if Lerner is willing to speak to a media outlet, she should testify before Congress.
“Ms. Lerner stated in her interview that she wanted to tell her side of the story,” Meadows said. “As a Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee who has spent countless hours trying to get to the bottom of this scandal, I speak for myself and my colleagues when I say that we would be more than happy to return to Washington to hear Ms. Lerner’s side of the story. “
