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The Internal Revenue Service watchdog told a congressional panel Thursday that it is investigating ex-official Lois Lerner’s cache of emails that went missing last year for any “potential criminal activity.” Lerner, a former IRS official, came under fire after 30,000 emails disappeared for five months before they were recovered among “disaster recovery tapes” used to back up the agency’s email system. Committees in the House and Senate sought Lerner’s emails over allegations that the IRS was targeting Tea Party groups seeking tax-exempt status before the 2012 presidential election. Treasury Deputy Inspector General Timothy Camus told the House Oversight Committee Thursday that the investigation is preliminary and lawmakers should not jump to conclusions.