Please note:  "ANSWERS BY EMAIL" ENDS TOMORROW.  ANSWERS EMAILS WILL RESUME ON SEPTEMBER 3RD
1. a) Who is Lois Lerner?
b) What does it mean to "plead the Fifth"?

2. a) What will people assume by Ms. Lerner's decision to plead the Fifth?
b) Do you think Ms. Lerner's decision to plead the Fifth was a good idea? Explain your answer.

3. a) What did the committee accuse Lois Lerner of doing in relation to the scandal?
b) In para. 7, the Reuters reporters state: "The IRS's 'inappropriate' targeting of conservative groups, as described in a report the inspector general released last week, has set off a political firestorm and led Republicans to question whether Democratic President Barack Obama's administration was involved." Do you think Democrats should also be concerned about this possibility? Explain your answer.

4. a) When did Ms. Lerner learn about her department's targeting of conservatives?
b) Ms. Lerner made the information public almost a year after learning of the scandal, only because the inspector general's report was being released. How did Congress and the Justice Department react to the information?

5. What is Congressman Issa's committee attempting to determine with their investigation?

6. The inspector general who investigated the IRS scandal did not alert Congress of any IRS wrongdoing prior to publishing the report. The head of the unit targeting conservatives did not alert Congress. Both were supposed to have done so. Why do you think they didn't?

7. a) Many believe the targeting by the IRS was a deliberate attack to silence Tea Party groups leading up to the presidential election, and some suggest this intimidation could have affected the outcome of the election. What do you think? Ask a parent what he/she thinks.
b) How serious is it for the IRS (the U.S. federal government) to target a citizen because of political beliefs? Ask a parent what he/she thinks.