7 Moments You Can’t Miss From Lois Lerner’s IRS Testimony

March 5, 2014

Former IRS official Lois Lerner testified this morning before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Instead of answering any questions about the IRS’ treatment of conservative political groups, Lerner instead chose to plead her 5th Amendment rights and declined to answer any questions.

Here are 7 of the best moments you missed.

1. This one time she grabbed a bottle of water before her riveting testimony began.

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2. The time that she raised her hand under oath.

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3. This time we learned that Lerner was pleading the 5th Amendment and “declining to answer any questions on the subject matter of this hearing.”

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4. This time that Lerner told us she was declining to answer who at the IRS “wanted to fix the problem” of political groups. 

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5. The time Lerner declined to answer why she thought conservative groups’ IRS cases were “very dangerous.”

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6. This time Lerner declined to answer why she was worried about the IRS treatment of conservative groups being “perceived as a political project.”

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7. The time Lerner declined to answer why she ordered conservative groups’ IRS cases to go under a “multi-tier review.”

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Are House Democrats going to continue to “plead the Fifth” and avoid answering questions about the IRS as well? House Democrats have repeatedly opposed legislation to rein in the IRS and and hold the agency accountable. While Americans remain skeptical and untrusting of the IRS, House Democrats remain silent.