Congressman Objects to Lerner Taking 5th: ‘You Don’t Get to Tell Your Side of Story Then...

CNS News ^ | May 22, 2013 | Elizabeth Harrington

[Secret Agent Man]

i am innocent.

why? please convince us.

thank you, no.

yep, i’d object and not let her out of that damn chair until she answered questions. let her pee herself. which for the average woman would be about an hour to 1 1/2 hours.

[tennmountainman]

People here are quite aware of the political implications of Lerner taking
the fifth. The issue is the GOP should have asked her a few hard hitting
questions and let her plead the fifth over and over.
The fact that that the video of her self serving video is in heavy rotation
on news channels, instead of video of her taking the fifth over and over
should tell you who won this round.
For what she did to conservative groups, she deserved to be humiliated
in public and it did not happen.

[DrDude]

She is still working. Should be fired on the spot and pension withheld.

[Secret Agent Man]

for regular citizens yes, but SHE IS GOVERNMENT!!!!!

tell your accounting dept you won’t answer any of their questions.

[Pollster1]

I'm with Issa. No person shall be . . . compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself - that is perfectly clear. Since she is an obvious criminal, she has good reason to refuse to testify against herself. She is also entitled to muddy the waters with a deceptive opening statement before sheltering in the Fifth Amendment. It's annoying, but even liberals and criminals (but I repeat myself) have the basic human rights that she was certainly trying to deny decent people.

[blue-duncan]

Big Hat, No Cattle

Randy Newman

Since I was a child
I’ve tried to be what I’m not
I’ve lied and I’ve enjoyed it all my life
I lied to my dear mother
to my sisters and my brother
and now I’m lying to my children and my wife

Big Hat, no cattle
Big head, no brain
Big snake, no rattle
I forever remain
big hat, no cattle
I knew from the start
Big boat, no paddle
Big belly, no heart

Can’t remember why I do it,
Oh, maybe I can.
An honest man these days is hard to find.
I only know we’re living in an unforgiving land.
And a little lie can buy some real big piece of mind.

Oftimes I wondered what might I have become,
Had I but buckled down and really tried.
But when it came down to the wire
I called my family to my side
Stood up straight, threw my head back
and I lied, lied,lied

Big hat, no cattle
Big shoes, well you know...
Big horse, no saddle
He goes wherever I go

Big hat, no cattle
Right from the start
Big guns, no battle
Big belly, no heart

When it came down to the wire
I called my little family to my side
Stood up straight, threw my head back
and I lied, lied,lied
lied, lied, lied

Big hat, no cattle
Big head, no brain
Big snake, no rattle
I forever remain
Big hat, no cattle
I knew from the start
Big boat, no paddle
Big belly, no heart
Big boat, no paddle
Big belly, no heart

[Christie at the beach]

This is super great. Work for the government, don’t want to testify or to only answer questions from the people’s representatives, forced to show up, make a statement; surrounded by a team of lawyers, then leave with no questions being answered. Though, she did lie to the committee earlier in prior interviews. Issa wanted her on record of refusing to answer. Though, many expected her to be questioned since she is the one who was deeply involved in the targeting. I don’t think this can be let go.

[Polyxene]

Issa should have kept her there, asked her hundreds of questions and made her repeat her phony 5th Amendment speech until she got laryngitis.

[Sopater]

I believe I heard Issa dismiss her by continuing her requirement to appear, subject to the committee consulting its counsel.

So you think that she could be called back?

[tennmountainman]

Exactly!

[Sopater]

And you can’t take the fifth to keep from testifying about other people

I believe that you are correct there.

[tennmountainman]

Where is the outrage, other than Gowdy, about what this hack did to conservative groups. Why was she not humiliated in public hearings?
The GOPe’s and the rats have at least one thing in common.
Hatred of The Tea Party. And the lack of outrage in the hearings proves
my point.

[RetSignman]

As I understand it, invoking the Fifth Amendment right MUST be submitted in writing before appearing.

In that case, the minute she appeared before the committee ANY statement other than she is invoking that right, would be an act of waiving that right.

Any lawyers out there?

[onedoug]

And then prosecuted. But it won’t happen.

[Wurlitzer]

“Issa is an idiot.”

---

Well so many here are acting like democrats and not telling the full story.

Issa, was unsure if he had the authority to negate her claim of 5th Amendment rights after her testimony and STATED THAT SHE WOULD BE CALLED TO TESTIFY if she had forfeited her 5th Amendment right. He is going to seek a legal opinion. I believe there are grounds to force her to testify once she began but I never went to dishonesty school (law school)

A huge difference from calling him ineffective or an idiot.

We must stop eating our own, even if they are not 100% aligned with our position. The communists have built a government within our government betting on our tendency to eat our own.

[Wurlitzer]

In this case, Issa proved you wrong:

So many here are acting like democrats and not telling the full story.

Issa, was unsure if he had the authority to negate her claim of 5th Amendment rights after her testimony and STATED THAT SHE WOULD BE CALLED TO TESTIFY if she had forfeited her 5th Amendment right. He is going to seek a legal opinion. I believe there are grounds to force her to testify once she began but I never went to dishonesty school (law school)

We must stop eating our own, even if they are not 100% aligned with our position. The communists have built a government within our government betting on our tendency to eat our own.

[Wurlitzer]

Well so many here are acting like democrats and not telling the full story.

Issa, was unsure if he had the authority to negate her claim of 5th Amendment rights after her testimony and STATED THAT SHE WOULD BE CALLED TO TESTIFY if she had forfeited her 5th Amendment right. He is going to seek a legal opinion. I believe there are grounds to force her to testify once she began but I never went to dishonesty school (law school)

We must stop eating our own, even if they are not 100% aligned with our position. The communists have built a government within our government betting on our tendency to eat our own.

I guess now on the FR is someone is unsure and attempts to get a legal opinion they are useless. I didn’t know we know everything.

[utahagen]

I agree with everything you’ve written. Even Lerner’s obnoxious “I’ve done nothing wrong” preamble is good for our side, as it raises the question, “So, why won’t you testify?!”

[Nervous Tick]

FRiend, you are the one not telling the whole story.

Issa did NOT make the point that Lerner couldn’t *selectively* claim the fifth — Trey Gowdy did. Trey Gowdy salvaged some hope from what would have been a total limp-wristed Issa fumble.

And Darryl Issa has a track record of ineffectuality. If you disagree, enumerate his accomplishments.

Name ONE — just ONE — Obama minion that has been forced to answer for, or brought to justice for, Obama administration lawlessness from all of Issa’s years of investigations.

Just one.

[gwjack]

Yes — She will either be called back, or the train will pass her by. The committee needs to develop all possible info prior to bringing her back. That way, she could be prosecuted (if it gets there) on independent evidence developed through other avenues. The committee should not be hasty and re-call her, until they know enough to implicate and convict her.

I am confident that someone below her in the chain will give her up. I would like to think that Issa is aware of this, and is merely giving her rope. It will not happen this week, and maybe not in a month. But, it will happen. Imagine the stress she will feel when she puts her head on her pillow at night. It will always be in her thoughts. It is almost something that will make you feel sorry for her. NOT!

I had the Fifth claimed a couple of times in civil depositions. The law review article I linked was very persuasive to one Federal District Judge, and one Oklahoma State District Judge. They both found the witness/party had waived the Fifth, and held them in contempt until they answered. I like the contempt power - people go to jail until they co-operate. Us private lawyers don’t have such power.