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dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)
Thu May 23, 2013, 06:06 PM May 2013

IRS official Lois Lerner, who took the 5th at Congressional hearing, is placed on admin. leave.

What's interesting is how it came about!

Thursday afternoon, Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and John McCain, R-Ariz., the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Government Affairs investigations subcommittee, called on Daniel Werfel, the new acting IRS commissioner, "to suspend immediately Lois Lerner from her office as Director of the Office of Exempt Organizations."
In a letter to Werfel, Levin and McCain accused Lerner of not being forthcoming about the targeting scandal during an hours-long interview by the subcommittee,
writing that she "failed to disclose the internal controversy over the search terms used by the Cincinnati office to identify 501(c)(4) groups for further review, the actions taken by that office in reviewing the identified groups, the investigation and imminent findings by the Treasury Department Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA); and TIGTA's conclusion that the IRS had used inappropriate criteria to target Tea Party and other conservative groups.
Ms. Lerner also failed to disclose that she was fully aware of these issues as early as June 2011, and, according to TIGTA, had been personally involved in reviewing questionable actions taken by the Cincinnati office."

"Given the serious failure by Ms. Lerner to disclose to this Subcommittee key information on topics that the Subcommittee was investigating, we have lost confidence in her ability to fulfill her duties," they continued.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57585938/issa-irs-lerner-waived-her-fifth-amendment-rights/
22 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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IRS official Lois Lerner, who took the 5th at Congressional hearing, is placed on admin. leave. (Original Post) dixiegrrrrl May 2013 OP
Exercise your constitutional rights, get placed on administrative leave. Cali_Democrat May 2013 #1
PAID leve, at that. dixiegrrrrl May 2013 #14
Her two comments: Bay Boy May 2013 #2
I would have fired her, if possible. badtoworse May 2013 #3
Public servants shouldn't be allowed to exercise their constituion rights? Cali_Democrat May 2013 #4
The 5th Amendment does not extend to the workplace. dems_rightnow May 2013 #5
They issued a sup tho'. MichiganVote May 2013 #7
She has not been found guilty of anything in the hearings or in court. MichiganVote May 2013 #6
That's irrelevant. As an employer, I would expect my people to be fully accountable. badtoworse May 2013 #8
That may be your option as a private employer. Given the rhetoric, somebody MichiganVote May 2013 #10
I am not sure "crime" has been pointed at yet. dixiegrrrrl May 2013 #17
I don't think taking the 5th implies guilt.I think it implies that this congress. comm. intends MichiganVote May 2013 #21
I HOPE using the IRS to target political enemies IS a crime. Skip Intro May 2013 #19
Wow. MNBrewer May 2013 #13
As an employer is says right in the employee handbook of my company rl6214 May 2013 #22
Declining to testify to protect from self incrimination is a huge red flag any way you look at it. dkf May 2013 #9
Let's see who else has been put on administrative leave for not responding NV Whino May 2013 #11
Exactly. And where was the Levin/McConnel letter asking for their ad. leave? MichiganVote May 2013 #12
She took the 5th? FFS LittleBlue May 2013 #15
It is interesting and a little bit strange, dixiegrrrrl.. Cha May 2013 #16
wow...she REFUSED to resign when asked. dixiegrrrrl May 2013 #18
Yes, she refused to resign.. and also refusing to answer questions is what got her there.. Cha May 2013 #20

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)
14. PAID leve, at that.
Thu May 23, 2013, 07:42 PM
May 2013

But...they are union.
Which is interesting..all these scandals about agency people breaking the law, lying to congress, refusing to even talk to Congress, and no consequences.
You and me?
We would be in jail for contempt of Congress in a heartbeat.

Bay Boy

(1,689 posts)
2. Her two comments:
Thu May 23, 2013, 06:11 PM
May 2013

"I did nothing wrong" and "I want to take the 5th amendment" seem to be at opposition to each other.

 

badtoworse

(5,957 posts)
3. I would have fired her, if possible.
Thu May 23, 2013, 06:12 PM
May 2013

She is a public servant accountable to the people. Taking the fifth should not be an option if she wishes to stay employed.

dems_rightnow

(1,956 posts)
5. The 5th Amendment does not extend to the workplace.
Thu May 23, 2013, 06:16 PM
May 2013

It prevents you from self-incriminating and being prosecuted, that's it.

Consider it like my 1st amendment right to tell my boss that he's an asshole.

 

badtoworse

(5,957 posts)
8. That's irrelevant. As an employer, I would expect my people to be fully accountable.
Thu May 23, 2013, 06:31 PM
May 2013

Refusing to answer questions is not something I would tolerate at all. Criminality is not the issue.

 

MichiganVote

(21,086 posts)
10. That may be your option as a private employer. Given the rhetoric, somebody
Thu May 23, 2013, 06:34 PM
May 2013

seems to believe a crime has been committed and so far nothing has been found to prosecute anyone.

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)
17. I am not sure "crime" has been pointed at yet.
Thu May 23, 2013, 07:50 PM
May 2013

I listened to the hearings the other day, and the Inspector General WAS indicating there may room to see if a crime has been committed, but right now a major key issue is there is a law that says one thing and an IRS procedure manual that says a different thing about how to determine the Pacs.
Meanwhile, the Hearing Comm. is pissed at Ms. Lerner for not answering, and her attorney is stating taking the 5th applies to things other than criminal charges and that she is within her rights.

Naturally, while it is oft said that taking the 5th does not imply guilt.....it DOES, to most of us, gotta admit.

What is it about her job that makes her concerned about talking about it, one wonders.
An obvious answer...she is covering for someone.
Just as all those cute lil twit wit Bush robots were protecting him and esp. Rove, during the Attorney General Purge in 2007.

 

MichiganVote

(21,086 posts)
21. I don't think taking the 5th implies guilt.I think it implies that this congress. comm. intends
Thu May 23, 2013, 08:20 PM
May 2013

to find a scapegoat--other than themselves of course.

Skip Intro

(19,768 posts)
19. I HOPE using the IRS to target political enemies IS a crime.
Thu May 23, 2013, 07:56 PM
May 2013

If it ain't, then we got a way bigger problem here.

 

rl6214

(8,142 posts)
22. As an employer is says right in the employee handbook of my company
Thu May 23, 2013, 08:27 PM
May 2013

That failure to cooperate with any investigation is grounds for immediate termination. No ifs ands or buts and her butt should be fired and thrown in jail for contempt of congress until she talks.

 

dkf

(37,305 posts)
9. Declining to testify to protect from self incrimination is a huge red flag any way you look at it.
Thu May 23, 2013, 06:32 PM
May 2013

NV Whino

(20,886 posts)
11. Let's see who else has been put on administrative leave for not responding
Thu May 23, 2013, 07:30 PM
May 2013

Mr. "I don't recall" Alberto Gonzales?

Mr. "I won't take an oath" Bush and his pal Dick when "testifying" about 911?

I'm sure I'm missing some, here. Help me fill in the blanks.

 

MichiganVote

(21,086 posts)
12. Exactly. And where was the Levin/McConnel letter asking for their ad. leave?
Thu May 23, 2013, 07:34 PM
May 2013

All political, all the time.

 

LittleBlue

(10,362 posts)
15. She took the 5th? FFS
Thu May 23, 2013, 07:42 PM
May 2013

Now she's basically gone. This is looking worse every time I read something about it.

Cha

(297,323 posts)
16. It is interesting and a little bit strange, dixiegrrrrl..
Thu May 23, 2013, 07:48 PM
May 2013

this looks like an update.. in that it also includes the new acting director who was appointed, Ken Corbin.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/tea-party-storm-largely-inside-irs-so-far

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)
18. wow...she REFUSED to resign when asked.
Thu May 23, 2013, 07:53 PM
May 2013

So is now on PAID leave while someone else is chosen as her replacement.
How awkward is THAT?

But...legally....I can see why. To resign when asked could look like an admission of having done something wrong.

Guess DC is not a right to work place, eh?

Cha

(297,323 posts)
20. Yes, she refused to resign.. and also refusing to answer questions is what got her there..
Thu May 23, 2013, 08:02 PM
May 2013

from your link..

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said to reporters Thursday, "I do think the American people deserve answers. I wish she would have provided them. I don't know what her basis is for taking the Fifth, [but] it's her legal right to do."
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