Approach to IRS scandal inadequate

As new details surrounding the IRS scandal come to light, it is clear that President Barack Obama’s administration has inappropriately handled the situation to a point where things have dragged on far too long. A special prosecutor should be appointed to efficiently resolve this debacle.

After the first audit reports were released this month, the American public has witnessed the type of targeting and firing that reeks of a political quagmire with the potential to hinder its day-to-day ability to accomplish its political goals.

Called upon by the House Oversight Committee to testify about the IRS’s activities, Director of IRS Exempt Organizations Lois Lerner read a prepared statement and then took the Fifth. In the wake of Lerner’s testimony, or lack thereof, special prosecutions ought to be used to find the responsible parties as soon as possible.

Lerner’s invocation of the Fifth Amendment was illegal and should have been inadmissible to the House Oversight Committee when she testified.

While taking the Fifth is meant to protect individuals under criminal investigation, it does not allow those individuals to pick and choose what questions they would like to answer under cross-examination. In fact, people testifying before Congress usually do not say a word before invoking it, making Lerner’s utilization all the more puzzling.

She first read a statement refuting any accusations of her involvement: “I have not done anything wrong. I have not broken any laws. I have not violated any IRS rules or regulations, and I have not provided false information to this or any other committee,” she said. She then refused to answer any further questions.

Almost immediately afterward, Lerner was placed on administrative leave by the IRS, however, this was only after she refused to resign. Her testimony, combined with these developments, makes Lerner out to be a possible scapegoat for this scandal. Blame for the situation has fallen mostly on Lerner and the IRS, but this does not eliminate the notion that other individuals in the government are overstepping their power and their obligations to the public.

Because federal law allows Lerner to garner pay and benefits as a result of her placement on administrative leave, the government is obliged to put an end to this circus as soon as possible. The Obama administration also has an interest in putting an end to growing speculation stemming from the four simultaneous congressional investigations.

To achieve this a special prosecutor ought to be appointed. This would put someone who is beyond the political intrigue in a position to swiftly find the person or persons culpable. However, a major obstacle to this is the resistance of those investigations to such an appointment. Other legislators, such as Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., say that there is not enough evidence and yet, how much more do they need? Lerner’s suspicious testimony illustrates that there is more to the story than we know.

If a special prosecutor is finally appointed to investigate the IRS’s Tea Party organization targeting, then the story might lose its staying power, and the administration will be able to move on and pass legitimate legislation, such as immigration reform. One can only hope that those in positions of oversight will be able to act so quickly. It’s time to move on from this scandal and focus on tackling the country’s more pressing issues.

Jack Merritt is a sophomore majoring in history.