The Internal Revenue Service official who first disclosed that the agency had targeted conservative groups for special scrutiny, and in doing so ignited a controversy that has ensnared the White House, denied on Wednesday that she had ever provided false information to Congress. She then invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to testify at a House hearing on the agencys actions.

Lois Lerner, the head of the IRS unit handling tax-exempt status, invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday.
She is in the spotlight following a Treasury inspector general's report that found her unit used political criteria to screen applications for tax-exempt status from tea party and other conservative organizations.
Lerner joins a long line of officials who "took the Fifth" when called to testify before Congress.

Republican Rep. Darrell Issa declared Thursday that the embattled IRS official who refused to testify Wednesday had no right to do so, and is now looking to haul her back before his committee.