Lois Lerner and the Rule of Lawlessness

Our governmental system, checked by Constitutional limits and balanced through the setting of different branches and levels of government at odds with one another, is supposed to ensure the rule of law prevails over the historical norm – the rule by man. The latter refers to the arbitrary rule of monarchs and other unaccountable governments that have defined the vast majority of human history up until America’s founding, which represented a marked departure from the past. Sadly, that event is looking increasingly like a blip, rather than an irreversible turning point.

In a Friday news dump, Obama’s Justice Department announced that following its “investigation,” Lois Lerner will not be charged for any wrongdoing in the case of the IRS’ targeting of conservative organizations. The law, apparently, is only meant for little people.

Previously, a Bipartisan Senate Finance Committee report found that: “Due to the circuitous process implemented by Lerner, only one conservative political advocacy organization was granted tax-exempt status between February 2009 and May 2012. Lerner’s bias against these applicants unquestionably led to these delays, and is particularly evident when compared to the IRS’s treatment of other applications…”

Tellingly, the Committee concluded that: “The IRS’s treatment of these organizations was almost universally consistent with Lerner’s personal political views – this is, supporting Democratic candidates and opposing conservative tax-exempt organizations that engaged in political speech. Conservative organizations that sought to participate in the nation’s political discourse, such as the Tea Party, drew the strongest ire from Lerner.”

She knew what she was doing at the time. Lerner wrote of “cautioning folks about email,” and the need to “be cautious about what we say in emails,” in anticipation of future congressional interest. When told that conversations on OCS – an instant-messaging system used by the IRS – were not searchable, she responded, “Perfect.”

At every stage of the investigation, Lerner stonewalled and obstructed. She repeatedly misled Congress with false testimony and destroyed evidence to prevent discovery of her wrongdoing.

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