Under threat of subpoena from Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.), the Internal Revenue Service now says it will “turn over emails and other documents from Lois Lerner”, who remains at the heart of allegations the agency targeted conservative groups.
a core player in the agency’s targeting controversy, the House Ways and Means Committee said Friday.
“This is a significant step forward and will help us complete our investigation into the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups,” said Camp.
The news come after Lerner invoked her Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination for a second time in front of the House Oversight Committee.
Republicans have increasingly acknowledged that Lerner is likely central to their investigation. Lerner’s lawyer, Bill Taylor, has maintained that Congress is unlikely to ever hear her testimony, placing even more importance on Lerner’s emails and documents.
Camp requested all Lerner emails since 2009 and was disappointed that the IRS had used a keyword search to release only a limited number of documents.
“From the few Lerner documents we have received, we know that Washington, D.C., orchestrated the targeting of groups applying for tax-exempt status, surveillance of existing tax-exempt groups and formed the proposed 501(c)(4) rules designed to push conservative groups out of the public forum,” Camp said Friday.
“The remaining documents are key to determining the level of wrong doing and deception committed by this agency.”
Camp’s staff is expected to review the documents to look for previously undisclosed relevant material.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.