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Washington, D.C.  – Today, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) voted to hold former Internal Revenue Service Exempt Organizations Division Director Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress for her refusal to fully cooperate with an ongoing House investigation into improper IRS scrutiny of conservative non-profit groups.

“Americans need to be certain that the machinery of government will not be put to partisan ends,” Congresswoman Foxx stated. “Lois Lerner led an IRS division that repeatedly and unfairly singled out conservative groups for exhaustive scrutiny, effectively sidelining them for an election cycle. Lerner’s refusal to refusal to cooperate with an investigation into how and why these groups were targeted is unacceptable.” 

“I voted to hold Ms. Lerner in contempt today because officials who abuse the public trust must be held accountable.”

Lois Lerner appeared before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform last year and delivered a 305 word statement attesting to her innocence before refusing to answer questions, invoking her 5

^th

Amendment right not to incriminate herself in criminal activity.  The Congressional investigation into IRS scrutiny of conservative groups is ongoing.

Lerner was held in contempt on a bipartisan 231 to 187 vote  in the House of Representatives.

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Congresswoman Virginia Foxx is currently in her fifth term as the Representative of North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District and is the elected Republican Conference Secretary. Dr. Foxx is the chair of the House Education & the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and serves as Vice Chair of the House Rules Committee.

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