- The Washington Times - Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Lois Lerner doesn’t appear to be making any friends in her upscale Bethesda, Maryland, neighborhood.

In a video published Tuesday, the embattled ex-IRS director is seen trying to flee from a reporter into the home of a neighbor, who is less than thrilled to see her.

Jason Mattera, publisher of the Daily Surge, tried an ambush interview with Ms. Lerner as she walked her two dogs on Sept. 29.

“A chance to apologize, Ms. Lerner?” Mr. Mattera asks in the video as Ms. Lerner rushes up a hill to her neighbor’s front door. “You didn’t hesitate to target conservatives, but you’re hesitating to speak. Why? You don’t like being targeted, do you?”

Ms. Lerner knocks on her neighbor’s door for a few moments and appears to try to push her way in once the door opens a crack.

An annoyed woman on the other side of the door explains that she’s just had surgery and refuses to let Ms. Lerner in, shutting the door in her face.

“You don’t feel bad that you were using the government as a weapon to crush political dissent?” Mr. Mattera continues.

“Could you call the police?” Ms. Lerner begs the woman while pounding on the door. “Please let me in. These guys are with the press and they’re not leaving me alone. I only need to come in for a second. Can I go in the garage?”

“What are you doing here?” an elderly man asks from behind as he approaches his front door.

“She’s trying to get in your house, she doesn’t want to answer questions,” Mr. Mattera explains.

“I don’t want her in the house,” the man says.

“I know you don’t,” Ms. Lerner says to the man as she pats him on the shoulder and rushes back down the hill.

Before the video ends, Ms. Lerner is seen walking up another neighbor’s driveway when Mr. Mattera asks, “Are we going to try another house?”

Ms. Lerner admitted her division had given extra scrutiny to applications from groups with “tea party” in their names at the request of her boss, but she denied that her bias influenced her decision making. Republicans have released emails showing that perhaps the opposite was true.

• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.

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