The Obama administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) decided not to prosecute Lois Lerner for contempt of Congress.
Former IRS official Lerner was held in contempt by the U.S. House of Representatives last May after she refused to testify about her involvement in the IRS’ improper targeting of conservative and tea party groups. Lerner waived her Fifth Amendment privilege to deny wrongdoing then tried to plead the Fifth, according to the House Oversight Committee. (RELATED: Confirmed: Obama Admin Has Lerner’s Emails Now).
But U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ronald Machen will not prosecute Lerner, he told House Speaker John Boehner in a letter.
As The Daily Caller reported, DOJ lawyers tried to shut down the search for Lerner’s missing emails.
“We are gratified but not surprised by today’s news,” said Lerner’s lawyer William Taylor in a statement. “Anyone who takes a serious and impartial look at this issue would conclude that Ms. Lerner did not waive her Fifth Amendment rights. It is unfortunate that the majority party in the House put politics before a citizen’s constitutional rights. Ms. Lerner is pleased to have this matter resolved and looks forward to moving on with her life.”