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Press Release Published: Jul 17, 2014

Justice Department’s IRS Targeting Investigation Only Learned of Lois Lerner’s Missing Emails After Media Reports

Revelation raises questions about the seriousness of DOJ effort, reinforces need for special prosecutor

In response to a question from Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) in today’s House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation, and Regulatory Affairs hearing on the U.S. Department of Justice’s response to the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of conservative tax-exempt applicants, Deputy Attorney General James Cole said that the Justice Department learned of two years of missing IRS emails only after Congress and press reports on June 13th, 2014:

Rep. DeSantis: “Mr. Cole, we learned in Congress on June 13th, 2014 that two years-worth of Lois Lerner’s emails were missing—the IRS would not produce those. When did the Justice Department learn of that fact?”

Deputy Attorney General James Cole: “I think we learned about it after that from the press accounts that were in the paper following the IRS’ notification to the Congress.”

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