AND?:

Simpson, who appeared for the closed-door session Tuesday under subpoena, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. His attorney decried the committees' proceedings as "an utter sham" that would "make Senator Joseph McCarthy proud."

"This committee has destroyed the reputations and careers of prosecutors and agents, it has gratuitously exposed personal aspects of their private lives, it has levied false accusations of criminal wrongdoing against them, and this mistreatment is no different as applied to our client," Simpson attorney Joshua Levy told reporters. "Rather than continue any further in this charade, Mr. Simpson has proudly stood today on his constitutional privileges not to testify."

One panel member, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), questioned whether Simpson had the legal right to refuse to answer Congress's questions.

"Glenn Simpson has to have a reasonable apprehension of criminal prosecution to validly invoke the Fifth," he told reporters after the brief interview. "If not, you can't just invoke the Fifth to avoid answering congressional questions."

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