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Steny Hoyer urges Dems to oppose Lois Lerner contempt
Politico ^ | 5-5-2014 | Lauren French

Posted on 05/05/2014 8:10:59 PM PDT by smoothsailing

Steny Hoyer urges Dems to oppose Lois Lerner contempt

By LAUREN FRENCH | 5/5/14 2:00 PM EDT

House Democratic leaders are urging their members to vote against holding former Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner in contempt, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer said on Monday.

The Maryland Democrat said leadership would oppose the contempt vote, which is scheduled to reach the House floor this week, on grounds that it is “political messaging.”

Lerner, who retired from the IRS last fall, was responsible for the agency division that targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny as they sought a tax exemption. She has repeatedly refused to answer questions from House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa’s panel, prompting the contempt vote.

"We’re going to express our opposition certainly to the Lerner [vote],” Hoyer said.

Speaker John Boehner has previously said Lerner would face a contempt vote as long as she refused to testify and Republicans are hoping a court will determine that she waived her Fifth Amendment right not to self-incriminate after giving a short speech before the Oversight Committee last May.

Hoyer said he predicts any court will side with Lerner. “People want to read the Constitution right up until the time it makes them uncomfortable with providing people with the rights that they don’t think they ought to have,” he said. “I think if it passes, the courts will sustain Ms. Lerner’s claim of Fifth Amendment privileges.”


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Politics/Elections
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To: FlingWingFlyer

Steny sold his soul a long time ago. He hasn’t a “smidgen” of integrity left IMHO


21 posted on 05/06/2014 4:54:37 AM PDT by Jimmy Valentine (DemocRATS - when they speak, they lie; when they are silent, they are stealing the American Dream)
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To: smoothsailing

The Democrats have turned the United States Government into a criminal organization and they are defying anyone to do anything about it. This is a far cry from the occasional shady deal that has been done by individual politicians since time immemorial. This is an entire party’s decision to seize power and then sell the use of that power to the highest bidder. One of the first steps is to destroy those who do not cooperate with them.

They are not just protecting Lois Lerner, they don’t really care about her. But, there are many Lois Lerners out there doing the Democrats bidding and they are worth protecting.


22 posted on 05/06/2014 5:06:14 AM PDT by centurion316
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To: smoothsailing

It is apparent they have EVERYTHING to hide.


23 posted on 05/06/2014 8:55:16 AM PDT by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal the 16th Amendment)
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