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GOP lawmaker calls for criminal penalties against IRS's Lerner
The Hill ^ | 09/12/13 | Pete Kasperowicz

Posted on 09/13/2013 6:52:37 AM PDT by Qbert

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) on Thursday called for criminal penalties against Lois Lerner, the former director of exempt organizations at the IRS, for lying to Congress about her involvement in the IRS targeting scandal.

Gohmert read an op-ed from The Wall Street Journal today that outlines various emails the House Ways and Means Committee was able to secure from Lerner. The committee obtained the emails weeks after she testified to Congress that lower-level employees in Cincinnati were responsible for targeting groups based on their political affiliation, which resulted in lengthy delays for conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status. Lerner's emails, which the Committee released today, show that Lerner appeared to have some say over the IRS's targeting activities. In one 2011 email, for example, Lerner suggests that IRS officials in Washington should handle the issue, and others show that she was aware of Washington's involvement.

"It certainly appears that the IRS was weaponized for the political purpose of one party," Gohmert said on the House floor in reaction. "Here we are … with a group of Democratic operatives doing things with the IRS that Richard Nixon could only dream of doing.

"I think there are criminal implications here that need to be followed up."

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) warned Thursday that Lerner would face unnamed consequences for her apparently untruthful comments to Congress.

"There is increasing and overwhelming evidence that Lois Lerner and high-level IRS employees in Washington were abusing their power to prevent conservative groups from organizing and carrying out their missions," he said. "There are still mountains of documents to go through, but it is clear the IRS is out of control and there will be consequences." Gohmert said the Obama administration continues to stonewall Congress on requests for information about the IRS, last year's attacks in Benghazi, Libya, and other scandals. He warned that continued use of federal agencies in this way is a danger to the country.

"When one party in power in the executive branch can weaponize its federal agencies against its political opponents … unless it is stopped, this little experiment in democracy will come to an end," he said.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: fascism; gohmert; lerner; loislerner
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1 posted on 09/13/2013 6:52:37 AM PDT by Qbert
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To: Qbert

Faced with hard time, she’ll sing like a canary.


2 posted on 09/13/2013 6:54:46 AM PDT by Starboard
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To: Qbert
I would go beyond that.

In my state, there's a statute for "official oppression". It's intended to be used for government employees that abuse their position to intimidate someone.

I want to see Lerner in jail for her partisan activities. She was supposed to be an IRS employee, not Obama's chief enforcer to attack his opponents.

This kind of behavior is not only inexcusable, it's criminal. It should be treated as such, and send the strongest possible message to other government employees that it won't be tolerated.

3 posted on 09/13/2013 6:56:51 AM PDT by justlurking (tagline removed, as demanded by Admin Moderator)
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To: Starboard

Audit the bitch!

Then hang her.


4 posted on 09/13/2013 6:57:04 AM PDT by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal the 16th Amendment)
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To: Qbert

Louie is one for the few house republicans that has a spine and balls. I’m proud to say, he’s a Texan


5 posted on 09/13/2013 6:58:15 AM PDT by Farnsworth ("The people have always some champion whom they set over them and nurse into greatness...This and no)
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To: Starboard

She’s a vile, demented, evil libtard... she’ll never see a day behind bars. The fact that she isn’t there now is a travesty. But with the gutless, ball-less pansies called the GOP, every true conservative has a target painted on their back. The GOP-E could care less what the IRS did... they see the Tea Party as much of a threat as the Demonic Party.


6 posted on 09/13/2013 6:59:00 AM PDT by Common Sense 101 (Hey libs... If your theories fly in the face of reality, it's not reality that's wrong.)
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To: Qbert

What exactly is the status of this investigation? Or has the GOP simply folded up the tents, hoping no one would notice??


7 posted on 09/13/2013 6:59:37 AM PDT by ScottinVA (Obama is so far in over his head, even his ears are beneath the water level.)
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To: Qbert
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) warned Thursday that Lerner would face unnamed consequences for her apparently untruthful comments to Congress.

Damn it, stop "warning" and charge the bitch already!!!

8 posted on 09/13/2013 7:00:51 AM PDT by ScottinVA (Obama is so far in over his head, even his ears are beneath the water level.)
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To: Qbert

Get that witch back on the stand.


9 posted on 09/13/2013 7:02:43 AM PDT by SueRae (It isn't over. In God We Trust.)
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To: ScottinVA

I must be missing something. How can the GOP charge anyone when the RASCIST Holder runs the DOJ.


10 posted on 09/13/2013 7:03:18 AM PDT by jimpick
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To: Qbert
My request to Gohmert and other Pubbies: quit talking and DO something.

Only in Washington DC does appearing on a Sunday talk show count as action.

Issa, Gohmert, Camp, etc. are wearing me out with their inaction.

11 posted on 09/13/2013 7:03:34 AM PDT by Night Hides Not (The Tea Party was the earthquake, and Chick Fil A the tsunami...100's of aftershocks to come.)
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To: Starboard
Faced with Eric Holder she will just laugh her ass off

They should have impeached Holder two years ago over Fast and Furious .. now he knows they'll never lay a glove on him

12 posted on 09/13/2013 7:05:02 AM PDT by Elle Bee
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To: Qbert

talk. the GOP is in on this.


13 posted on 09/13/2013 7:05:29 AM PDT by Diogenesis
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To: ScottinVA

‘zackly.
More chin music from the GOP.


14 posted on 09/13/2013 7:08:21 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks ("Say Not the Struggle Naught Availeth.")
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To: ScottinVA

Delay, deny, lie, obfuscate, ignore, eyeroll, snicker.

Dem tactics that work.


15 posted on 09/13/2013 7:09:07 AM PDT by Cowgirl of Justice
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To: Starboard
Faced with hard time, she’ll sing like a canary.

That's not the Chicago Way. If Chicago rules are in effect, Obama will publicly declare that Lerner should do "the right thing." That'll be her signal that she'll be set for life after she gets out of whatever min-security prison she gets sent to . . . if she even goes.

16 posted on 09/13/2013 7:09:14 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: Elle Bee

Agree. Holder is home free. In a very real sense he’s an Untouchable.


17 posted on 09/13/2013 7:09:38 AM PDT by Starboard
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To: unixfox

> Audit the bitch!

Then hang her.

And anyone else that has been used by The One to intimidate, harass, blackmail, etc conservative groups.


18 posted on 09/13/2013 7:11:06 AM PDT by jsanders2001
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To: Common Sense 101

The GOP-E could care less what the IRS did... they see the Tea Party as much of a threat as the Demonic Party.

***********
Absolutely true. The Tea Party has to fight against the dirty Democrats, a corrupt media and a back stabbing GOP-e.


19 posted on 09/13/2013 7:12:08 AM PDT by Starboard
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To: Starboard

Holder, Lerner, the head of EPA, and many others in this outlaw Obama regime need to be in prison. In fact Obama should be there himself for the fraud of taking an office he is not entitled to .


20 posted on 09/13/2013 7:12:14 AM PDT by Venturer ( cowardice posturing as tolerance =political correctness)
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