Will Lois Lerner Get Immunity?

According to Republicans, retired IRS honcho Lois Lerner is set to testify to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Wednesday. Through her attorneys, Lerner has sought to delay her testimony by a week. She also appears to be angling for immunity from prosecution for her actions in the IRS targeting scandal. Lerner was the IRS official who first disclosed the targeting, while blaming it on rogue officers in the agency’s Cincinnati office. Evidence has emerged that links the scandal to political appointees within the agency, at least.

Committee member Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) appeared on Fox this morning, and host Bill Hemmer asked Gowdy if the committee would grant Lerner immunity for her testimony.

“Given that this is a family show, I’ll just say ‘No,'” Gowdy replied.

Gowdy said that Lerner has sought two things — to delay her testimony by a week, and to offer an off-camera deposition instead of testifying before the committee.

Gowdy allowed that a week delay could be granted. But gave less ground on the tussle over whether Lerner would testify before the committee or be allowed to give a deposition.

“Guess what? We’ll do both,” the South Carolina congressman said.

Gowdy said that Lerner’s testimony is key and that the committee would get it, either this week or next. He sketched out some of what Americans will learn when she does testify. Gowdy said that Lerner knows that after President Barack Obama used a State of the Union Address to directly criticize the Supreme Court for its Citizens United decision, the administration embarked on a plan to roll that decision back. The IRS targeting conservative groups was a key part of that plan.