YourHoustonNews.com - Olson Votes to Hold Former IRS Official Lois Lerner in Contempt

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By YourHoustonNews.com

Rep. Pete Olson (TX-22) acted today to hold the Obama Administration accountable for targeting conservative groups by voting to find Lois G. Lerner, the former Director of Exempt Organizations for the IRS, in contempt of Congress. After an Inspector General report concluded that the IRS unfairly targeted conservative groups by delaying approval of tax exempt status applications, Lerner refused to cooperate with an ongoing congressional investigation.

"The IRS abused its power by unfairly targeting conservative groups by applying additional scrutiny and delayed approval of their tax exempt status application based on ideological purposes," Olson said. "This is a tragic abuse of federal power and must be stopped. If Lois Lerner, the top agency official in charge of these actions refuses to cooperate with a congressional investigation, we will continue our fight for justice and answers."

Last month, Olson and a few House colleagues also wrote a letter to the House Committee on Appropriations , the committee tasked with the responsibility of writing all government funding bills. They demanded that Congress block any bonuses from being paid to the IRS's Tax-Exempt and Government Entities Division employees, the division responsible for targeting conservative groups.

Background: On May 10, 2013, Lois G. Lerner, apologized on behalf of the IRS for the agency's targeting of conservative groups' tax-exempt status applications. Her apology came immediately before an inspector general report was released, which found that from 2010 - 2012, the IRS subjected targeted tax-exempt applications from conservative groups to excessive requests for disclosure of private information and lengthy approval delays. On May 22, 2013, Lerner appeared at a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (OGR) under subpoena. After being sworn in, Lerner issued a voluntary and long opening statement defending the IRS practices, assuring the public no wrongdoing took place and then asserted a Fifth Amendment claim to refuse to answer any committee questions.

Last June, OGR approved a resolution, which concluded that Lerner's voluntary, self-serving opening statement constituted a waiver of her Fifth Amendment privilege. On March 5, 2014, the Committee resumed its May 22, 2013, hearing and the Chairman notified Lerner that the Committee had determined that she had waived her Fifth Amendment privilege and her continued refusal to answer questions could result in contempt proceedings. She continued to assert her Fifth Amendment privilege. On April 10, 2014, the Committee approved a resolution recommending that the House of Representatives find Ms. Lerner in contempt of Congress. Ms. Lerner's testimony remains critical to the Committee's ongoing investigation of the IRS's targeting of tax-exempt applicants.

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