House panel seeks IRS official's testimony

WASHINGTON -- A Republican-led House committee Friday increased pressure on Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner to break her silence on who in the tax agency was behind decisions to make it more difficult for tea party and other conservative groups to obtain tax-exempt status.

The Oversight and Government Reform Committee, in a 22-17 party line vote, ruled that Lerner, who headed the division that oversaw nonprofits, had forfeited her right to invoke the Fifth Amendment and refuse to answer questions when she appeared before the panel on May 22.

The GOP-written resolution said Lerner gave up her right to silence when she opened the hearing with a statement denying that she had done anything wrong.

Neither Lerner nor her lawyer were present at yesterday's vote and committee Democrats said Republicans should have allowed testimony from legal experts on Fifth Amendment protections for people testifying before Congress.

Lerner, now on administrative leave, oversaw the agency's Cincinnati workers who screened applications for tax-exempt status.