TAXMAN RUNETH

House Holds IRS Official in Contempt

Lois Lerner charged.

The House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to hold former Internal Revenue Service employee Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with an investigation into the agency’s targeting of Tea Party and other conservative groups. Lerner outraged Republicans when she admitted the IRS gave extra scrutiny to conservative groups but repeatedly refused to testify on Capitol Hill, claiming her Fifth Amendment privlege. Her case will now be referred to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and the contempt charge will be reviewed by grand jury. If convicted, Lerner could face one month to a year in jail and a fine of up to $100,000.