House GOP To File Criminal Charges Against Lois Lerner In IRS Scandal

GP -- Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) went on with Stewart Varney on Thursday morning to discuss recent developments on Capitol Hill.

Roskam told Stewart House Republicans are planning of filing criminal charges against Lois Lerner.

"Rep. Roskam: The Obama Administration was very lenient with the crimes that Lois Lerner committed. And those are strong words that I’m using but the House Ways and Means Committee voted out a criminal referral to the Department of Justice which was completely dismissed by the Department of Justice… We think that Lois Lerner did two things wrong. Number one, she denied people due process and equal protection of the law based on their political philosophy. We’re convinced that there is overwhelming evidence to suggest that that’s true. And that’s a felony. Secondly, we suspect that she lied to the Inspector General of the Treasury Department."


More than 30 lawmakers sent a letter to President Trump last week calling for Obama’s IRS Commissioner, John Koskinen to step down from his post before the end of his term, Fox News reported.

The IRS Conservative Targeting Scandal involved: Hundreds of conservative groups.

-- At least 5 pro-Israel groups

-- Constitutional groups

-- Groups that criticized Obama administration

-- At least two pro-life groups

-- An 83 year-old Nazi concentration camp survivor

-- A 180 year-old Baptist paper

-- A Texas voting-rights group

-- A Hollywood conservative group was targeted and harassed

-- Conservative activists and businesses

-- At least one conservative Hispanic group

The IRS continued to target groups even after the scandal was exposed, 10% of Tea Party donors were audited by the IRS. And,100% of the 501(c)(4) Groups Audited by IRS Were Conservative

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Blog Author's Comments: When the Attorney General files criminal charges, then I will believe that the GOP is serious about going after Lois Lerner. But I do believe she should face charges for what she did when she was with Obama's IRS. I have no doubt that he ordered every bit of this. It is highly doubtful that he and the AG at the time Eric Holder, will ever pay for what they did while in power. But at this time President Trump has a very full plate. Getting his must-do legislation through Congress has to be the priority before any political/criminal reckonings such as this are dealt with.

Even if Lerner is convicted for what she has done, if she doesn't pay some serious consequences, this is all pointless. Leniency of any sort will not deter this sort of lawlessness from continuing. The DOJ must send a message, that this nation will not tolerate this behavior again from anyone. If this happens and they squeeze Lerner, it could make her talk and point the finger at some of the people in higher places in an attempt to cover for herself. Once again, Trump, Pence, Sessions and many others within the administration, have other items of far greater importance to deal with before and if they ever get around to a serious investigation of Lois Lerner and her time with the IRS.

At this time all Republican hands should be on deck to -- Repeal Obamacare. Rewrite the tax code. Build the border wall. Deal with the loon in North Korea. Deal with Iran. Indict all of Obama's "deep state" operatives. Bring more jobs back to America. Create new jobs. Rebuild the crumbling infrastructure. Rebuild the neglected US Military. And by all means take care of our veterans. That should keep President Trump busy for a while and I hope like hell he receives the help he needs from his party to accomplish many of these items.

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Boehner: House Won't Use Its Power To Arrest Lois Lerner

The Hill -- The House has held Lois Lerner in contempt, but it won’t use its power to place the former IRS official under arrest, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said on Sunday.

Under a precedent affirmed by the Supreme Court, each chamber of Congress can authorize its sergeant-at-arms to detain individuals it holds in contempt. But Boehner said on "Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo" on Fox News that he has no interest in doing that with Lerner, whom the House last week voted to hold in contempt over her refusal to testify about her role in the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups.

“I’m not sure we want to go down that path,” Boehner said. “It’s never been used,” he said of the provision allowing Congress to arrest individuals and place them in the Capitol jail. The Senate has in fact used that power, but not in the last 80 years. “I’m not sure that it’s an appropriate way to go about this,” Boehner said.

The contempt charge has been referred to the Justice Department, and Boehner said it is up to Attorney General Eric Holder to prosecute Lerner.

“Now will he do it? We don’t know, but the ball is in his court,” Boehner said.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Washington has said it is reviewing the referral. Lerner has repeatedly invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, but the House contends she waived that right by defending herself in an opening statement at a House hearing last year before she refused to answer questions from lawmakers.

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Blog author's comments - So Boehner won't issue an arrest warrant for Lerner if Holder fails to prosecute her. The GOP controlled House apparently will do nothing about the IRS head Lois Lerner who was deeply involved in the IRS's targeting of conservative groups and held in contempt by the House. But Boehner passes any decision on what Lerner is guilty of or punishment for what she did to Eric Holder's DOJ.

Eric Holder himself was held in contempt of Congress for failing to produce documents subpoenaed by Congress in connection with the Fast and Furious gun-running investigation. Does anyone think Lerner will receive any penalty imposed for wrongdoing for what she did by the DOJ? I don't believe Lerner initiated what the IRS did. I think she was told what to do by perhaps Harry Reid and President Obama. So along with Fast and Furious the IRS scandal will go ignored and most of the voters will forget about them.

Those who want to be our leaders are the first to run when faced with any serious battle. When you are fighting for the country and your political party, you use every weapon at your disposal. The Democrats understand this, it would be nice if our Republican leaders also figured this out. Boehner doesn't have the leadership ability or the courage to stand up to the Obama administration or the liberal press. The only reason I can see John Boehner taking the position he has, is to put the onus on the Attorney General Eric Holder to treat the case against Lois Lerner with the seriousness it deserves.

IRS Buying Spying Equipment: Covert Cameras in Coffe Trays, Plants

CNS News -- The IRS, currently in the midst of scandals involving the targeting of conservative groups and lavish taxpayer-funded conferences, is ordering surveillance equipment that includes hidden cameras in coffee trays, plants and clock radios.

The IRS wants to secure the surveillance equipment quickly – it posted a solicitation on June 6 and is looking to close the deal by Monday, June 10. The agency already has a company lined up for the order but is not commenting on the details.

“The Internal Revenue Service intends to award a Purchase Order to an undisclosed Corporation,” reads the solicitation.

“The following descriptions are vague due to the use and nature of the items," it says.

“If you feel that you can provide the following equipment, please respond to this email no later than 4 days after the solicitation date,” the IRS said.

Among the items the agency will purchase are four “Covert Coffee tray(s) with Camera concealment,” and four “Remote surveillance system(s)” with “Built-in DVD Burner and 2 Internal HDDs, cameras.”

The IRS also is buying four cameras to hide in plants: “(QTY 4) Plant Concealment Color 700 Lines Color IP Camera Concealment with Single Channel Network Server, supports dual video stream, Poe [Power over Ethernet], software included, case included, router included.”

Finishing out the order are four “Color IP Camera Concealment with single channel network server, supports dual video stream, poe, webviewer and cms software included, audio,” and two “Concealed clock radio.”

“Responses to this notice must be received by this office within 3 business days of the date of this synopsis by 2:00 P.M. EST, June 10, 2013,” the IRS said. Interested vendors are to contact Ricardo Carter, a Contract Specialist at the IRS.

Entire column...

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Blog author's comments - I suppose this equipment is for the IRS' 'Covert Operations' division? "If you can’t trust government to follow the Constitution while spying, we’re going to have some problems" ~Barack Hussein Obama. We do have many problems.

The government needs a serious reset. It won't happen with the current administration but constitutional law has to be reinstated. This has gotten insane. The last people you want to see playing covert spy games is the IRS. Are these the same low-level 'rogue' IRS employees who are also being blamed for the targeting scandal? It was not the low-level employees acting on their own in either case.

The question is will America as founded survive the Obama administration? Those who educated themselves concerning Barack Obama prior to the 2008 election knew he would be a failure as president but never thought he would be the complete disaster for the country that he actually is. I suppose Obama knows nothing about the IRS buying spy equipment either.

Candidate Obama Debates President Obama On Government Surveillance

Camera image via: SodaHead

Congressman Trey Gowdy Objects to IRS' Lerner Taking The Fifth

Fox News -- Before Lois Lerner, director of the IRS division that singled out conservative groups was dismissed from the hearing by committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) objected, saying since Lerner testified by making an opening statement, she would have to stay and answer the lawmakers' questions.

"You don't get to tell your side of the story and then not be subjected to cross-examination. That's not the way it works. She waived her right to Fifth Amendment privilege by issuing an opening statement. She ought to stand here and answer our questions," said Gowdy to some applause in the crowd.

Lois Lerner at House Hearing "I Am Very Proud
of the Work I Have Done in Government"


IRS Official Lois Lerner "I Have Not Done
Anything Wrong. I Have Not Broken Any Laws"


Audience Applauds After Rep. Trey Gowdy
Goes Off on IRS Official Lois Lerner

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Blog author's comments - I am disappointed in Darrell Issa. She should have been made to sit there and to respond, in one way or another, to a series of questions. It seems absurd that she should be able to say what she wants, then invoke the 5th Amendment to avoid answering any questions after she made her statement. I don't expect that any actual blame for the IRS scandal will be placed on Lois Lerner or that she will suffer any consequences. She has already shielded herself by saying it was the fault of low-level employees. But, I do not believe they acted on their own.

Earlier this month (as Reported by USA Today on May 10, 2013) the Internal Revenue Service apologized for subjecting Tea Party groups to additional scrutiny during the 2012 election, but denied any political motive. Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS unit that oversees tax-exempt groups, said organizations that included the words "tea party" or "patriot" in their applications for tax-exempt status were singled out for additional reviews.[...]

Lerner said the practice, initiated by low-level workers [...} was wrong. "It was an error in judgment, and it was not appropriate, but that's what they did," Lerner told reporters. She declined to talk about how many employees were involved and whether there would be disciplinary action. "I think they were insensitive, or less sensitive than they should have been."[...]

Lerner said she had never discussed the issue with Treasury or White House officials and could not say whether they knew of the problems before her apology. She said her focus had been on fixing the problem.

Issa Reverses: Chairman Darrell Issa Said IRS Official Lois Lerner Waived
Her Fifth Amendment Rights When She Made Her Opening Statement
And Will be Hauled Back to Appear Before His Panel Again