#IRSHearing: Former #IRS Commish Shulman Doesn’t Know The 1st Amendment [Video]

On May 22nd, 2013, in news, politics, by Velvet Hammer

This explains a LOT.

Transcript:

Bentivolio: Did you study the Constitution?

Shulman: I went to law school

Bentivolio: You went to law school. Did you study the Constitution?

Shulman: I believe I took Constitutional law, but I’m not prepared to take an exam at this time. Meaning I’ll answer any of your question but I can’t promise that I’m an expert.

Bentivolio: “Well, you know the First, Second Amendment and one of my favorites, the 19th, right? You know those?

Shulman: Excuse me.

Bentivolio: You know those amendments. The Constitutional amendments? You know the First, you know the Second, and you know the 19th?

Shulman: I don’t necessarily have the Constitution memorized, sir.

Bentivolio: Ok, well, they’re pretty general in what each one is.

Bentivolio: Like the First Amendment is the freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and freedom to petition the government for a redress of grievances. First Amendment, right?”

Shulman: I really can’t recite the Constitution, sir.

#IRSHearing: Shulman REFUSES To Say Whether Targeting Conservatives Is Against Democratic Values

On May 22nd, 2013, in news, politics, by Velvet Hammer

#IRSHearing @DarrellIssa: ‘Did Lois Lerner Accidently Waive Her Right To Take The 5th?’ [Video]

On May 22nd, 2013, in news, politics, by Velvet Hammer

Issa’s closing statement.

Previously:

Video: Rep. Cummings(D) To #IRS Shulman: Your Excuses For Not Informing Congress Of Targeting: “Not Good Enough”

On May 22nd, 2013, in news, politics, by Velvet Hammer

#IRS Official Lois ‘I Am Not A Crook’ Lerner Refuses To Testify At #IRSHearing [Video]

On May 22nd, 2013, in news, politics, by Velvet Hammer

“I have not done anything wrong, I have not broken any laws, I have not violated any IRS rules or regulations and I have not provided false information to this or any other congressional committee. While I would very much like to answer the committee’s questions today, I have been advised by my counsel to assert my constitutional right not to testify or answer questions related to the subject manner of this hearing.”

I know that some people will assume I have done something wrong. I have not. One of the basic functions of the Fifth Amendment is to protect innocent individuals, and that is the protection I am invoking today.”

Tea Party Patriots @tppatriots: “Lerner Takes The Fifth After Trampling The First”

— Shirley & Banister(@SBPublicAffairs) May 22, 2013

Also see: IRS’s Lerner Had History of Harassment, Inappropriate Religious Inquiries at FEC
Targeted Christian Coalition.

Previously:

Live Video House Oversight Hearing On #IRS Targeting Conservative Groups –With Live Chat 5/22/13

On May 22nd, 2013, in news, politics, by Velvet Hammer

*Hearing has concluded.

Previously:

Sen. @JohnCornyn Gives Former #IRS Commish Douglas Schulman Opportunity to Apologize He Refuses [Video]

On May 21st, 2013, in news, politics, by Velvet Hammer

Bonus video: Senator Cornyn’s ‘A Culture Of Intimidation‘

Lastly a memo to targeted Texans:

Sen Cornyn launches hotline for Texans who believe they’ve been targeted by the IRS – ow.ly/lgoNO

— National Review (@NRO) May 21, 2013

Previously:

Pack Of Prog Pundit Propagandists Summoned To West Wing

On May 21st, 2013, in news, politics, by Velvet Hammer

Talking points bull session? Circling the wagons circle jerk? But I repeat myself…

Spotted: @joshtpm @capehartj @ezraklein & other lefty columnists headed into the West Wing as a group. POTUS coffee? Carney meeting? Anyone?

— Ari Shapiro (@arishapiro) May 21, 2013

D.E.S.P.E.R.A.T.I.O.N. Hope and Change is circling the drain.

Roster:
Ari Shapiro: NPR White House Correspondent
Josh Marshall: Talking Points Memo
Jonathan Capehart: Washington Post and MSNBC Contributor
Ezra Klein: Blogger/columnist for Washington Post, columnist for Bloomberg View, contributor to MSNBC

How Convenient! Senior #IRS Offical Lois Lerner To Plead The 5th–Issa Issues Subpoena Anyway

On May 21st, 2013, in news, politics, by Velvet Hammer

Let’s break the 5th amendment down: You only use it when your ass is guilty. You know, that whole self-incriminating thing. #IRS

— Sean (@massSNAFU) May 21, 2013

And Lerner’s guilt is written all over this manuever.

(LA Times) –WASHINGTON — A top IRS official in the division that reviews nonprofit groups will invoke the 5th Amendment and refuse to answer questions before a House committee investigating the agency’s improper screening of conservative nonprofit groups.

Lois Lerner, the head of the exempt organizations division of the IRS, won’t answer questions about what she knew about the improper screening — or why she didn’t disclose it to Congress, according to a letter from her defense lawyer, William W. Taylor III. Lerner was scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday.

“She has not committed any crime or made any misrepresentation but under the circumstances she has no choice but to take this course,” said a letter by Taylor to committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Vista). The letter, sent Monday, was obtained Tuesday by the Los Angeles Times.

Taylor, a criminal defense attorney from the Washington firm Zuckerman Spaeder, said that the Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation, and that the House committee has asked Lerner to explain why she provided “false or misleading information” to the committee four times last year.

Since Lerner won’t answer questions, Taylor asked that she be excused from appearing, saying that would “have no purpose other than to embarrass or burden her.” [...]

Shorter defense lawyer Taylor: ‘It would be an embarrassing burden for Lerner to incriminate herself.

Meanwhile “Issa has issued a subpoena to Lerner anyway.” GOOD.
Oh the irony!

@jimgeraghty Violator of 1st, 4th and 14th pleads 5th.

— Matthew Burtner (@MforestB) May 21, 2013

Blazing Cat Fur links…thanks!

Previously

Today: #IRS Commish Miller: “I will, take responsibility for” Lerner’s Planted Q&A –Last Week: “I did not do that” [Video]

On May 21st, 2013, in news, politics, by Velvet Hammer

Miller (under oath) ensnaring himself in a tangled web of lies of his own making.

Last week (May 17th, 2013) IRS Steven Miller testifying during the House Ways and Means IRS hearing. Subject; the IRS’ planted Q&A at the American bar Association conference:

Congressman Kenny Marchant: When was Celia Roady told to ask the [planted] question?

IRS Commish Steven Miller: I don’t have exact knowledge on that. I did not do that.

Marchant: Who told her to ask the [planted] question?

Miller: I don’t know, actually, I’m not sure, might have been Lois Lerner. But I’m really not sure.

Today (May 21, 2013) during the Senate Finance Reform Committee hearing:

Senator Chuck Grassley: Mr. Miller on May 14th I wrote you a letter raising questions about the so called spontaneous apology Lois Lerner made at the American bar Association May the 10th. Initially Miss Lerner said her response was spontaneous and denied that the question was planted. However you admitted during your testimony last week [May 17th --ed.] that the IRS had in fact planted the question to be asked at the ABA conference. You said quote: “It was a prepared Q&A” end of quote. Who’s idea was it to prepare this Q&A and why?

IRS Commish Steven Miller: Um, well I will, take responsibility for that. Um, the thought was that now that we had the TIGTA report and we had all the facts. We had our response, we thought we should begin talking about them. We thought we would get out an apology. Um, the way we did it we wanted to reach out to Hill staff ….did not work out. Obviously, the entire thing was an incredibly bad idea.

……

Grassley: How appropriate is it for the IRS to secretly plant questions ahead of an IG report?

Miller’s (non-answer): I think that what we tried to do was to get the apology out sir and start the story. The report was coming, we knew that. And the report was done.

Also see: The Odd Case of the Planted IRS Question

Previously: