print 




[ed. <u+2013> lawmakers are saying she<u+2019>s basically <u+201c>pleading the fifth.<u+201d> but it appears to be more than that, if her deputy is warning members of congress about publicly disclosing what they know about the payments. there cannot be any justification for that.] 




attorney general loretta lynch is declining to comply with an investigation by [mis]leading members of congress about the obama administration<u+2019>s secret efforts to send iran $1.7 billion in cash earlier this year, prompting accusations that lynch has <u+201c>pleaded the fifth<u+201d> amendment to avoid incriminating herself over these payments, according to lawmakers and communications exclusively obtained by the washington free beacon . 




sen. marco rubio (r., fla.) and rep. mike pompeo (r., kan.) initially presented lynch in october with a series of questions about how the cash payment to iran was approved and delivered. 




in an oct. 24 response , assistant attorney general peter kadzik responded on lynch<u+2019>s behalf, refusing to answer the questions and informing the lawmakers that they are barred from publicly disclosing any details about the cash payment, which was bound up in a ransom deal aimed at freeing several american hostages from iran. 




the response from the attorney general<u+2019>s office is <u+201c>unacceptable<u+201d> and provides evidence that lynch has chosen to <u+201c>essentially plead the fifth and refuse to respond to inquiries regarding [her] role in providing cash to the world<u+2019>s foremost state sponsor of terrorism,<u+201d> rubio and pompeo wrote on friday in a follow-up letter to lynch, according to a copy obtained by the free beacon .
lynch threatens congress instead of answering questions on ransom payments to iran
j.e. dyer