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[IN]
[SU] EXE AVO LAW
TO LEGAL AFFAIRS, AND NATIONAL EDITORS:
ACLJ: Decision To Hold Former IRS Official Lois Lerner In Contempt Of
Congress "Justified"
WASHINGTON, April 10, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American
Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which represents 41 organizations
in a federal lawsuit challenging the IRS, said today's decision by the
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to hold former IRS
official Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress is "justified" for
failing to cooperate with Congressional investigators to provide
information regarding her role in the unlawful targeting of
conservative and tea party groups.
"The decision to hold Lois Lerner in contempt comes 11 months to the
day since she revealed this unlawful scheme with a question she
planted at an ABA meeting," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the
ACLJ. "From the very beginning, she has ignored a Congressional
subpoena - refused to answer questions on two occasions by pleading
the Fifth Amendment. We believe - as many others do - that she waived
her constitutional right to remain silent because she invoked it after
she publicly proclaimed her innocence. Lerner has misled the American
people and Congress from the very start. Contempt is justified and the
appropriate sanction in this case."
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform today voted to
hold Lerner in contempt of Congress. The measure now goes before the
full House for consideration.
Today's action comes just one day after the House Committee on Ways
and Means voted to send a letter to the Attorney General saying Lerner
should be prosecuted for her actions in the unlawful targeting scheme.
The contempt vote comes as the ACLJ has heard from more than 70,000
people in just several days calling on Congress to hold Lerner in
contempt.
The ACLJ federal lawsuit, which also names Lois Lerner as a defendant,
is progressing. The ACLJ represents 41 organizations in 22 states. Of
the 41 groups, 24 organizations received tax-exempt status after
lengthy delays, 11 are still pending, 5 withdrew applications because
of frustration with the IRS process, and 1 had their file closed by
the IRS after refusing to answer the unconstitutional requests for
more information.
Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the American Center for Law and
Justice (ACLJ), focusing on constitutional law, is based in
Washington, D.C. and is online here.
MEDIA CONTACTS: For Print: Gene Kapp (757) 575-9520 For Broadcast:
Alison Geist or Chandler Epp (770) 813-0000
SOURCE American Center for Law and Justice
-0- 04/10/2014
/Web Site: http://www.aclj.org
CO: American Center for Law and Justice
ST: District of Columbia
SU: EXE AVO LAW
PRN
-- DC02958 --
0000 04/10/2014 17:37:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
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