Cummings Responds to Scheduling of Contempt Vote

Apr 3, 2014
Press Release
Cummings Responds to Scheduling of Contempt Vote

Washington, D.C. (Apr. 3, 2014)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement in response to an announcement from Chairman Darrell Issa that the Committee will vote next week to hold former IRS official Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress:    

“It is unfortunate that Chairman Issa leaked news of his contempt vote before he even told his own Committee Members, but frankly that is how he has conducted this entire investigation—promoting partisanship and leaking information rather than seeking facts and reform.  Our Committee could have had Ms. Lerner’s testimony, but the Chairman rejected her attorney’s request for a simple one-week delay while he was out of town.  That was a shame because so many of our members—Republicans and Democrats—wanted to hear from her.   Chairman Issa has demonstrated over and over again that he simply does not want to hear from anyone who disagrees with him or has information that does not fit his political narrative—including witnesses, independent legal experts, and even Committee Members like myself.”

Twenty-five independent legal experts – including two former House Counsels and three former clerks to Supreme Court justices – have concluded that Chairman Issa compromised any House contempt action against Lerner when he rushed to adjourn the Committee’s hearing on March 5, 2014.

113th Congress