So IRS official Lois Lerner defended her tenure and actions but doesn't want to testify before a House committee:
Lerner's opening statement before the committee was the only information she would provide at the hearing. As advised by her attorney, Lerner invoked her Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate herself by testifying and declined to respond to questions from lawmakers. She added that by refusing to subject herself to questions "some people will assume I have done something wrong. I have not."
Recall that "Scooter" Libby did hard time despite having broken no laws in the Affaire La Plame non-scandal. He was nailed for incorrect statements under oath ("lies") about a non-crime he was not involved in.
How much worse could it be for Ms. Lerner when the IRS already admitted to doing something wrong?
UPDATE: Related thoughts (tip to Instapundit):
The American people have a right to know both how deep and how high the corruption of our government runs. The White House has an interest in minimizing the scandal, and surely that is Obama's objective if he is trying to throw Lerner under the bus. Let's reserve judgment on her and make sure not to let off the hook the man whose re-election the IRS's abuse of power helped to advance.
Well, the 5th amendment was her only way out in the short run, since "What difference, at this point, does it make" whether some IRS employees planned to target Tea Party activists or were just out walking around and spontaneously got worked up over some YoutTube Tea Party video has passed its shelf life in Washington.
And obviously, I meant that pleading the 5th isn't necessarily as damning to Ms. Lerner as it appears.
