5/22/13 – The audience erupted today after Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) went off on IRS official Lois Lerner today. Lerner, the director of the IRS division that singled out hundreds of conservative groups, delivered an opening statement today on how proud she was of her work and then pleaded the Fifth Amendment and clammed up. Gowdy didn’t like this much.
“Mr. Issa, Mr. Cummings said we should run this like a courtroom and I agree with him. She just testified. She just waved her Fifth Amendment rights. You don’t get to tell your side of the story and then not be subjected to cross examination. That’s not the way it works. She waved her right to Fifth Amendment privilege by issuing an opening statement. She ought to stand here and answer our questions. (Applause)”