Darrell Issa Turns Off Democrat’s Mic Then Flees the Room During Lois Lerner Hearing
Like a rat who could not wait to flee his own sinking ship, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) turned off the microphone of ranking member Rep. Elijah Cummings, and fled the room after Lois Lerner took the Fifth at Issa’s latest IRS witch hunt hearing.
Video:
House Oversight Committee ranking member Rep. Elijah Cummings described Issa’s behavior in a statement:
During a hearing today before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Committee Chairman Darrell E. Issa posed questions for approximately 15 minutes to former IRS official Lois Lerner, who stated as she had nine months ago that she was invoking her Fifth Amendment right not to testify.
When it came time for the Committee’s Ranking Member, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, to take his turn for questions under Committee and House Rules, Issa quickly adjourned the hearing, turned off Cummings’ microphone, and refused to allow him to make any statement or ask any questions.
Cummings immediately protested, stating: “You cannot have a one-sided investigation. There is absolutely something wrong with that. And it’s absolutely un-American.” Issa then returned, turned on Cummings’ microphone, and allowed him to begin his statement.
However, when it became clear that Issa did not like what Cummings was saying, Issa again turned off Cummings’ microphone and repeatedly signaled to Republican staff with his hand across his neck.
Cummings proceeded to read his statement and questions in the hearing room as all of the Committee’s Republicans fled the hearing room.
Rep. Cummings’ statement accurately described what is visible in the video above. Some media outlets have reported this as an argument between Issa and Cummings. There was no argument. Cummings tried to speak. Issa cut off his mic. Issa turned the Democrats mic back on, adjourned the hearing, and quickly ran out of the room.
Like a cockroach running from the light, Issa couldn’t wait to escape the hearing room after it became clear that he lied to the world on Fox News Sunday. Lois Lerner never had any intention of testifying today. That didn’t stop Issa from inventing some breaking news that he passed on to Fox News that Lerner would be testifying.
Issa should have been humiliated, but he was outraged that Lerner would not play a part in his attempt to revive the widely debunked IRS scandal. Fox News is expressing shock that Lerner didn’t testify, but they have known since Sunday that she wasn’t going to play a role in Issa’s latest show trial abuse of power.
Rep. Cummings was correct. That was no way to run a hearing; however it did lay bare the partisan witch hunt that Darrell Issa is carrying out against President Obama. What we saw today was not democracy. It was a pathetic attempt to grandstand in order to revive a scandal that doesn’t exist.
The only person in that room who deserves to be investigated it is Rep. Darrell Issa.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
Issa’s a chicken, plain and simple. He got caught with his hand in the cookie jar and Cummings called him out for it.
Why don’t the people in his district vote his sorry ass out? It’s obvious he doesn’t give a damn about the people in his district.
I saw that video earlier today. I can’t believe at the amount how much Issa has mocked at Cummings before he cowardly walked out of the room. Issa is the biggest scumbag politician in D.C.
This is an allegation from someone, a blogger, who was there outside of Issa said that after he spoke with Fox News, he laughed about Cummings and walking the victory-style of walk.
There’s no love lost between these two. Cummings outwitted Issa with a touch of reality.
Darryl Issa needs to run out of town, he is a waste of time and space…
I beg your pardon but whenever this leader of the IRS was asked a question and some of them where on stuff she had written and taught about all she wanted to do was invoke the 5th Amendment. I think with what they had and had question her on and she did not choose to defend her actions is already a plea of guilty.
Given what we know about the car thief, arsonist on a political vendetta would you give up your constitutional rights? If so then when you raise your right hand to defend the Constitution you had no idea what you were defending. FROM A DISABLED vETERAN
Darrell Issa is 100% human-waste. In my opinion.
Using the 5th is never a guilty plea. Unless you no longer recognize the constitution.
Her guilt or non guilt is nothing compared to the guilt Issa faces beucase he created the entire scandal.
To turn Issa’s words back on him – we should have 40 investigations a year… of Darrell Issa.
As much as I would like to think that this will make a difference in the national political discussion, it probably won’t. Issa’s T-bagger supporters won’t be swayed by such trivial things as truth and fairness and neither will Fox News.
It’s amazing that we pay these folks to make decisions governing our lives and they do nothing but sit in Washington (when they decide to come to work) and act like 10 year olds! I’ve had enough of the ignorance! What a joke we’ve become!
Issa clearly showed his bias when he used the “slice his throat” motion to shut off mike then after leaving room deny that what he did was political theatre.
Issa was deceived, and himself did deceive the public, on Fox News with the announcement that he had had negotiations with Lerner’s lawyer – which the lawyer subsequently denied.
Par for the course.
Republicans are great at distractions. I think two things should be investigated – 1) Darrell Issa and his $14+ million taxpayer paid witch hunt of the IRS; and 2) why organizations (I don’t care if D, R, I or T) who are obviously political organizations are getting tax exemption status under charity organizations costing taxpayers millions. I am amazed how Republicans can waste money – like Ted Cruz’s $25 million government shutdown – and there are no consequences and then they say they can’t provide SNAP or Veterans benefits because we don’t have the money
so its ok for her to NOT answer questions showing her doing wrong, but its ok for them to stage questions that she WILL answer to make it look innocent? no you cant have a one sided investigation, and when they wont answer questions, because it could incriminate them, while in the constitution it is NOT an admission of guilt, it is in that if what you did WOULD NOT incriminate you then why take the 5th? While he should have let the other Rep. ask his questions, it would have shown the obvious partisan politics on this, not that we really need it.
Who does this clown think he is by shutting someone else down. I am so glad he was put in his place. What a jerk.
What did she do wrong?
Sounds to me like you’re arguing that the fifth amendment shouldn’t exist…
Saw this over on Huffpo:
“The elephant in the room which Issa has ignored for the whole inquisition is that Lois Lerner is a Republican who was appointed by GW Bush.
From the IRS website.
Lois G. Lerner Selected as Director of IRS Exempt Organizations Division
IR-2005-148, Dec. 22, 2005
WASHINGTON — Lois G. Lerner has been selected as the director of the Exempt Organizations Division of the Internal Revenue Service. In this position, she will be responsible for administering and enforcing the tax laws that apply to more than 1.8 million organizations recognized by the IRS as exempt from tax.”
Who cares if she is repub or demo. She needs to answer the questions to clarify the situation. Keep saying “my counsel advise me to f myself” will not solve anything..
The truth about this entire matter is slowly revealing itself. We will just have to wait, but the truth will eventually come out.
Do you understand that every single group came TO the IRS for a TAX EXEMPT status and that the IRS did nothing wrong at all? Is this not yet clear to you? My organization has a 501-c-3 and a 501-c-4, and it is a very hard process AS IT SHOULD BE because it is asking for TAX EXEMPT status that is supported by the taxes on others.
Issa has deliberately ignored the facts, has made this woman a sole target of some phony “crime” she had nothing to do with because local offices – as they always do – provided local review of c-4 requests. He IS trying to scapegoat her, and she has provided documents but will not testify under kangaroo court standards Issa has created.
The IRS did nothing wrong. She did nothing wrong. ALL of the Tea Party and conservative c-4s were granted while the only 2 denied were DEM leaning groups. Issa as chair has a procedural and Constitutional set of obligations he voids every time he refuses to let the Dems speak. Of course Ms. Lerner won’t play his game.
Not at all. Issa is running a kangaroo court. She is being asked to account for LEGAL THINGS that the IRS in field offices did as if what they did was wrong AND she was in charge.
Read my comments above. She did no wrong. They did no wrong. But when someone is out to pillory you for political gain, is denying his OWN committee process, and is acting like a vicious tyrant, anyone with any sense would NOT given him a single item but protect him or herself from being railroaded.
Darrell Issa, the most corrupt Washington politician is a rat indeed.
for all of his shady past.
Just ask Issa about his most recent shady deal in Carlsbad, CA, the property he purchased/ made a deal with the bank .
The man is the lowest of low. Can a congressmen be impeached? I call for Issa’s impeachment.
love you!!! you said what needed saying in so few words. congrats! keep it up.
the real truth is, Daryl Issa is a lying, conniving, do anyting at any cost, ambulance chasing, speak with forked tonque, twisted PISS HOLE! this stinking bile bag that calls himself a congressman should not only be investigated himself, but should be divested of his position as a member of the ways and means committee. the man is a joke as a political figure, and an absolute disgrace as a human being… we surely hope with everything that is decent that this pile of garbage will NOT BE RETURNING to the congress..
No, it’s the same old story…it should only exist for the Republicans!!!!
When Issa wants Cummings’ opinion on anything, I’m sure Darrell will gladly give it to him.
Since you seem to feel your veteran status is important enough to list, I will trump it with USMC, doggy. Go get me a coffee while I take the objective for you.
When you are brought in to a hearing where the questions are clearly crafted to give the appearance of wrongdoing no matter how they are answered, the only valid response is no response.
“Have you stopped beating your wife? You may only answer yes or no.”
Yes- admits you beat your wife, no admits you still do. The authority running the show (and the mic switch) will allow no other reply than yes or no.
THIS is what kind of questions Issa is asking her, so she simply refuses to play his silly game. As is proper.
Don’t be fooled. This is not at all about tax exemption. It is about secrecy. This particular form of tax exemption comes with what they are really after- no requirement to report donors and amounts.
If a man, say named Koch, wants to donate $100,000 to a candidate he is prevented by law from doing so. He is limited to $2500 per election cycle.
So, this guy registers a 501(c)4 “charity”, gives $100,000 to this “charity” and that charity gives it to the candidate. Still illegal as all hell, but there is absolutely no evidence to press charges on. The “Charity” cannot be required to show who their donors were.
THAT is what they want. It is ieasy to operate a PAC as not-for-profit and avoid taxes entirely… but they have to reveal their donors.
Dear Nation and Congress.
I write you today to call upon you and all members of the Congress to demand that Daryl Issa step down now. Issa has lost all sense of decency, and is incapable of handling the rule of law or the rules of the House. He must be called upon to resign. Daryl Issa’s behavior today, during a hearing where he exemplified unethical, unruly, out of control, divisive, childish behavior, like that of a two year old wanting his way or else, is simply unacceptable to Americans. His lack of respect for other members of Congress is inexcusable and has dominated his behavior for too long. Mr. Issa is out of control, over the top, determined to grand stand using any excuse he can come up with. It is time for him to resign. We need our Congress working with all departments within government to the betterment of all Citizens. Mr. Issa has lost all sense of respect, all sense of dignity, all sense of any moral responsibility to this nation. It is time for him to go.
What was really infuriating about Issa’s rudeness was that he was pants-on-fire hot to get to the media microphones out in the Rotunda, where he complained that HE was being slandered.
Hypocrisy piled on hypocrisy piled on top of bullpucky.
Instead of calling him chairman he should be called allege car thief
I hope those in the 46th District of California have seen this and realize what a witch hunter their congressman is. There is an election coming this fall to your state and you have someone running against Issa. His name is Dave Peiser. Please check him out. I am from Wisconsin and just seeing what this congressman is trying to do makes me ill. What is his true objective in office? Is it to help you his constituents or his own objectives and those of outside interests? You should find out. You are seeing the rebirth of Joe McCarthy.
Issa behavior is beyond outrageous. I DO think the IRS facts should come out but not under a henchman like Issa. No wonder Congress’ favorable rating at 10%. Issa should be recalled. He is as embarrassing as Bachman, Perry, Stockman, Cruz, Gohmert, Broun, Steve King. C’mon California, you can do better than that.
Quoting Rep Cummings ” I am tired of this” should come out of every sane person’s mouth. How more will we take? Not just on this farce but on everything the baggers block that impacts our everyday lives. I know I am
Its hard to believe that Republicans are trying to impose their truth on America no matter the facts, Cummings tried to ask and place a statement in the record and Issa just said were done and walked away…. one can only imagine the reaction if issa was a democrat… America as we know it is in danger if these men are allowed to continue…
A fair and balanced commentary:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterjreilly/2014/03/05/lois-lerner-takes-the-fifth-again-political-theater/
It would be fair and balanced if they came out and admitted that Issa set the entire IRS scandal up to start with. The IRS never did target conservatives, but Issa wanted the report to show they did
I’m sure she would be happy to answer questions (if she has not done so already) that would *clarify* the situation. So if Issa starts asking those sorts of questions, maybe there will be a point to this farce.
I doubt it.
If someone is trying to bring you down or find you guilty of something even if you are innocent it is best to say nothing because anything you say can be twisted and used against you. Taking the 5th means you don’t have to say anything to anyone if they are going after you. It is like when you are arrested and they read you your rights. Even if you are innocent you have the right to remain silent and if you are smart you will do just that. She knows they aren’t interested in the truth. They are trying to get something on Obama and bring her down too.
There’s no comparison between Issa and Cummings when it comes to knowing and following the law. Cummings is a law school graduate who practiced law for over 10 years before he ran for Congress. Issa isn’t dumb, but he’s very corrupt, uses his political position to pursue personal vendettas against others, doesn’t know the law as well as Rep. Cummings, and thinks he is above the law. Issa was pissed that he was made to look like a fool in the committee meeting and was shown to be a liar. He was very upset before Rep. Cummings opened his mouth. He behaved like anything EXCEPT a statesman. He added to his lies by running to the cameras and claiming Rep. Cummings slandered him when Rep. Cummings was only objecting to the way Issa is conducting these investigations. His behavior today was that of a 3 year old throwing a tantrum because he didn’t get that special toy he’d asked for. It was not that of an adult in full control of his emotions/actions. He stunk the joint up today.
quote from Majiir. “His behavior today was that of a three year old throwing a tantrum, because he, didn’t get the special toy he’d asked for”
Isn’t that what all rethugs are, and do? When are they ever, in full control of their emotions and actions? AND don’t they always stink up the joint? Especially the ones in congress.
Repubes or democraps, our politicians are equipped with the morals of gutter cats.
If we want a representative government, we’ll have to RE-create it. (There were no parties in 1776.)
If we want smaller government, we’ll have to take out the incentives for its growth too.
The error of (y)our ways is that, despite the evidence of hundreds of years of history, you keep on electing self-selected, self-anointed members of the millionaires club, people who have no understanding of what the lives of the citizens of this country are like.
That fits in with Einstein’s definition of insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
[ http://otakurovira.pbworks.com/w/page/53335081/No%20Party%20Required ]
The problem there, Terrance, is that our System of Justice runs on “innocent until proven guilty”.
Now, in France, it’s supposed to work the other way around.
A legacy from the dictator Napoleon Bonaparte.
As a Democrat, I would prefer she testify.
But she’s a Republican, appointed by G.W. Bush, and she has declined.
She’s within her rights.
Maybe she watched the video of Hilary Clinton being grilled over Benghazi and decided she didn’t want to play the starring role in a Witchhunt.
me too
“The only person in that room who deserves to be investigated it is Rep. Darrell Issa.”
That says it all.
TERRANCE. No, no, no. There is no there there. It has already been proven.
All the most politician in Washington, Darrell Issa wants to do is spend the taxpayers money on faux scandals! Yes. No matter how hard they the Rs try, they can’t pin anything on the president. No matter what. Crooked Issa has nothing else to to do carry on with his faux scandals.
He turned off I. Cummings microphone! He cannot do that. Issa has gone against the rules of the committee. Period. Issa shut down the hearing because he doesn’t want to hear the truth. Issa acted like a dictator. Issa is un American. Issa should be taken out of congress! Just because the thug is worth $400 Million doesn’t give him the right.
Issa doesn’t want anyone to question him with this as he doesn’t want to hear the truth.
Now we have old “boil on his arsse” Limbaugh saying today that E. Cummings was faking it. What. He was yelling because his mic was shut off.
Rush is the biggest fake in the world.
Issa was blatantly theatrical with his faux hearing yesterday. That’s it!
Yes. Yes. Yes. Darrell Issa should be taken off his faux committees and be thrown out of congress.
So Boehner says he didn’t do anything wrong. Throw them all out!
Yes. We can’t forget how we watched Mr. Gonzales testify before congress during the Bush Adm.!
Dustin,
remember August 1, 2008 when the Dem controlled house shut off the microphones and lights on Shaddeg (R) Az ? It was a vote on off shore drilling. I guess they made their point in Louisiana shortly afterwards. What did we call Pelosi then ? Must we wait for Hellary to run to be called sexists, or was Nancy being one then ? Wanna know how you won a debate with a liberal ? RACIST !
In the 70″ we just called it “Watergate” and made the changes.
That only works when you are not a racist. However we can pretty much be assured by the actions of your leadership, you probably are a racist
Say a man named Soros makes a $5m donation to a presidential campaign, then gets paid back $3B of tax payer money to drill oil off the coast of Venezuela, that would be ok, right ?
you people understand that you are defending the IRS as if it were the pillar of all ethics. Codependency is very entertaining.
Do you understand that Issa set up the entire IRS scandal? And had the report state that only conservative entities were investigated?
Do you understand that information has been held back from you?
Say a couple of men named koch grab your land through eminent domain for a pipeline. Suppose they were foreigners. Thats all right?
Bullfeathers!! The Chairman adjourned the meeting, in case you didn’t watch that part of the video, and excused everyone including Lerner?! Further, he allowed the Congressman to ask his question, however, instead of asking the damn question, he began to pontificate on and on and never asked a question, so, the Chairman turned off ALL of the Mic’s , but he was still standing there??!!
So, only Issa has the right to speak. We get it
First of all, I have always been under the impression that in a Congressional hearing, you are not allowed to take the fifth. It’s also very incriminating that Lerner has stated that she will not testify until she is guaranteed immunity. She should be charged with contempt and arrested. But there is a reason for her position. I’d be scared too.
And what was the point of keeping the hearing open if Lerner wasn’t going to answer anyway? Why have any more questions. And if Cummings had such a viable question, why didn’t he ask it? He never did have a question. He just had some prepared speech that turned that whole hearing into a monkey trial, him being the biggest monkey of all. And it was obvious that NO ONE was interested in hearing it. Dems or Reps. I thought Issa was very patient with him.
She should be charged based on your erroneous impression? Or your hate for the constitution?
Or because you dont know Issa created the IRS scandal to start with?
For anyone invoking the 5th amdndment, if you did nothing wrong, why invoke it? It is practically an admission of misdoing. As Nancy Pelosi said “We can’t know what’s in it until we pass it.” We cannot determine if there is wrong-doing until we get answers to the questions, or does that only apply to Republicans being questioned?
Do you practice at being ignorant?