The effort to slap Attorney General Eric Holder with a contempt citation is moving forward, with a June 20 Oversight and Government Reform Committee vote scheduled on the report.
“For over a year and a half, the House Oversight Committee, with Senator Chuck Grassley, has conducted a joint investigation of reckless conduct in Operation Fast and Furious,” Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said in a statement. “…Attorney General Holder has failed to meet his legal obligations pursuant to the October 12 subpoena. House leaders reiterated this failure in a May 18, 2012, letter. Specifically, the Justice Department has refused to turn over critical documents on the grounds that they show internal Department deliberations and were created after February 4, 2011 – the date Justice issued a false denial to Congress. Contempt will focus on the failure to provide these post February 4th documents.”
Adding that the Justice Department has “obstructed the investigation,” Issa stressed that no executive privilege has been used to keep the materials in question secret.
“While the Justice Department can still stop the process of contempt, this will only occur through the delivery of the post February 4, 2011, documents related to Operation Fast and Furious and whistleblower accusations subpoenaed by the Committee,” Issa said. “If the Attorney General decides to produce these subpoenaed documents, I am confident we can reach agreement on other materials and render the process of contempt unnecessary.”
There are 23 Republicans and 17 Democrats on the committee. A majority vote is needed to pass the contempt citation. The House is in recess this week.
While not a measure to levy blame in Fast and Furious, the purpose of the contempt citation is to force compliance with a congressional subpoena.
Last week, Issa confronted Holder with wiretap applications that indicate his department was aware of tactics being used in the gun-running operation that resulted in the death of a Border Patrol agent and countless Mexicans. Issa also unloaded on the attorney general at a House Judiciary Committee hearing.
UPDATE: House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) issued a statement in support of Issa’s move:
“The Justice Department is out of excuses. Congress has given Attorney General Holder more than enough time to fully cooperate with its investigation into ‘Fast and Furious,’ and to help uncover the circumstances regarding the death of Border Agent Brian Terry. Agent Terry’s family, the whistleblowers who brought this issue to light, and the American people deserve answers. Either the Justice Department turns over the information requested, or Congress will have no choice but to move forward with holding the Attorney General in contempt for obstructing an ongoing investigation.”
And John Boehner is TERRIFIED.
yeah…. ..when he got this job..somebody stole the his cojones.. ..and he hasn’t found them yet…i think they’re in michelle’s purse..
I can only say at this point, I fully intend to contact House Speaker John Boehner’s Office, and ensure my voice is heard in terms of his rigid support of Issa’s position. The credibility of the House is in play here at this point. If we have an AG who believes he is not accountable to the House, we are indeed in deep, deep trouble. The rule of Law is the backbone of our civil society, Speaker Boehner must be held upright in his respobnsibility here to the American people. I will ask the PJ audience to please do the same. Only through our patriotic participation can we expect to hold the AG accountable. I pray of Border Patrol agnets’ Terry and Zapata’s families, as well as all those who were injured and killed by this ill conceived operation gone wrong.
Boehner’s on board? It’s about time. Should have been done months ago.
Should Republicans hold the House, someone needs to step up and challenge Boehner for the Speakership. He needs to go.
It would appear that Boehner is modestly on-board. I’m pretty sure he’s scared out of his socks over it because they’ll label him a racist which he fears greatly.
FOX: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/06/11/house-oversight-committee-schedules-contempt-vote-for-holder/
Boehner seems to talk a good game, but he’s no action hero.
Can someone explain exactly what this means? Is there a material effect on the investigation? For instance, after being served, does Holder have x amount of time before a federal judge sends marshals to his office to carry out files and hard drives?
And that is the question. If this carries no punitive weight, then what is the point, as Holder will just continue to ignore Congress. A federal judge sending US Marshals to seize evidence from DOJ is exactly what is needed, and the only thing that is going to bring those responsible for F&F to justice. Administration people need to go to jail. That would be justice, for the two murdered federal agents, and unknown numbers of Mexican citizens. Why aren’t US Hispanics, outraged at this administration for the deaths of their Mexican counterparts?
“Why aren’t US Hispanics, outraged at this administration for the deaths of their Mexican counterparts?”
Probably for the same reason they arent outraged over the gruesome level of carnage in the Mexicam Drug Wars….
They just dont care. As long as Obama and the left offer them freebies here, its “horay for me, sucks to be you”
Its something cultural….when you come from a society where sawing off heads and stuffing them into coolers is the norm, I really expect you to take a moral stand on anything?
Ditto for the Muslims who never “speak out” about terrorism.
Seriously…we expect better from the lands of savages?
I seriously, seriously, doubt there would be any sort of repercussion for Holder..seriously..
He might be forced to have a beer with Obama, a warm beer..but nothing else.. and if Obama can, he will pardon anything that heppens..
All the more reason why the House should impeach Holder. The President is barred from issuing pardons in cases of impeachment.
It’s about time. This will go one of two ways. Either the White House and Holder will keep stalling until after the elections in November, making a joke of the contempt citation, or Obama may decide to cut his losses and throw Holder under the bus and force him to reseign. If Obama forces Holder to do that, how much do you want to bet that Issa will offer Holder immunity if Holder spills his guts and tells about all the people involved in Fast and Furious? Something tells me that Obama and Holder will stall for time, because Obama probably thinks that he’d rather have Holder as a friendly felon rather than a hostile witness.
The only way I can describe the DOJ actions is when one is playing out a game of chess that one really needs to resign on.
Of course, in chess the guy who is going to win usually isn’t afraid to move his pieces.
So, let’s say they get the votes to hold him in contempt. Then, what? Please don’t tell me we’ve suffered through all this drama and political angst for a toothless tiger. Who has the authority to do what to Holder and will this person(s) have the stones to do it?
The Sergeant at Arms of the House has the power to arrest and bring holder to the House floor for a trial against him!
In my more cynical moments, I wonder if the Republicans are delighted that Holder is stalling, so they don’t actually have to take him to task for F&F.
Of course the GoP establishment wants the stall. They are part of the machine in DC and members of the club. All of this is just window dressing.
There is no “rule of law” left in The Republic. Do not kid yourself.
The rules in place don’t matter if ultimately the GOP hasn’t the spine to enforce them. Think how long it has taken to brew this weak tea, in the face of the evidence, and now ask what will make cowards brave? The GOP (Boehner) will support some face-saving compromise and GOP voters will be shocked their side surrendered.
GOP voters are always shocked that their leaders have sold them out again and then the GOP voters nominate candidate least likely to fight like the outcome is important. The RINOs are no more weak and worthless than most GOP voters.
Thank you PJ Media for the update on this critical issue. Unfortunately, I have yet to learn from any news source, either from you, Fox News or the Lame-Stream Media, just what “Contempt of Congress” actually entails. What, if any, are the penalties imposed on our so-called Attorney General should Congress approve a Contempt of Congress citation?
Will the Senate play a role in such a vote? If so, can Harry Reid simply ignore the House, should it approve the finding, and refuse to allow a vote to come to the floor of the Senate?
In other words, is a citation of contempt a “paper tiger” or dose it really have teeth that will at long last bring justice to Brian Terry and his long-suffering family.
And finally, can Harry Reid do what he has done for the past three and a half years and simply ignore the will of the people’s representatives with a pocket veto?
Can somebody answer what I would think are some pretty basic questions?
It is my understanding that “Contempt of Congress” is an actual crime,whether a high crime or a misdemeanor I don’t know. Either way, if he is cited for this crime, he can then be impeached for it. The House MUST vote on it, and no, the Senate CANNOT refuse to address it, via trial, if the House votes to impeach. It is sad that Dirty Harry should also be removed for misfeasance; unfortunately, the misconduct is subject only to scrutiny by the Senate and their Rules, and you know they won’t ever call him on it. So I guess the real question is: what’s to be done if the Senate Majority Leader refuses to hold an impeachment trial?
Actually as shown above in response to #7 “The Sergeant at Arms of the House has the power to arrest and bring holder to the House floor for a trial against him!
They can vote what they want, Holder, Axelrod, and the little guy in the WH aren’t budging. I wonder if we’ll hear the words “constitutional crisis” as this blows up? So popular when republicans are in the WH. This could be a preview of the lawlessness we might see when Obama loses the election, thugs showing their true colors, a nation up for grabs.
As to Boehner, I tend to think Issa will drag him along, to where he doesn’t want to go.