Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.) revealed embattled former IRS official Lois Lerner has agreed to testify Wednesday before Congress.
Issa, speaking on Fox News Sunday, said his committee has built enough evidence such that he believes it is in Lerner's "best interest" to testify.
The former IRS official has been the central figure of the Tea Party targeting scandal after she invoked the Fifth Amendment before the House OGR Committee last May.
UPDATE: Responding to Issa, an attorney for Lois Lerner, William Taylor III, says she will once again exercise her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when she appears before Congress.
Full exchange:
CHRIS WALLACE: All right. Let's talk about that. When you recalled Lois Lerner under subpoena to testify this coming Wednesday, her lawyers said can you call her but she is not going to testify, not going to answer any questions, continue to take the Fifth. But I understand you have some late breaking news.
DARRELL ISSA: We do. Her attorney indicates now that she will testify. We've had a back and forth negotiation. But quite frankly, we believe that evidence that we've gathered causes her in her best interest to be summoned to testify.
WALLACE: Let me make sure, Lois Lerner, former IRS official who refused to testify last May, will testify before your committee?
ISSA: According to her attorney.
WALLACE: This will be on Wednesday?
ISSA: Be on Wednesday.
WALLACE: What changed her mind? Was it -- did you give her immunity for her testimony? Was she frightened by the possibility of contempt? What changed her mind?
ISSA: We really don't know. What we do know is that during the intervening period we interviewed all the people around her to build a case for why she is at the center of this targeting, why it wasn't Cincinnati as you said in your opener. It wasn't liberal and conservative groups. It was groups targeted first by their name, patriot or tea party and then later at Lois Lerner’s assistance by some objective statements. But for the most part, it continued to target conservative groups.
Full interview: