Gowdy: 'It's a Shame' Holder 'Doesn't Enjoy His Job More'

Former district attorney Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) said Attorney General Eric Holder is slacking in his responsibilities and trying to pay off political debts — and made no secret that he’d like his job.

“He’s got the greatest job in the world, in my judgment. I’d rather be the attorney general than anything else in the world, including quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys,” Gowdy said on Fox Business.

“It’s a shame he doesn’t enjoy his job more. He wants to be a criminologist, a sociologist, a philosopher. We’ve had mandatory minimums for a quarter of a century. And yet he waits five years into his tenure as attorney general to decide he doesn’t like them anymore?” the congressman continued. “Most people serving drug sentences are serving state court drug sentences. He has nothing to do with that! There — he’s got three options. Number one, he can advocate for a change in the mandatory minimums. That’s well within his rights to do.”

“Number two, here’s a novel idea. If you don’t think low-level drug dealers ought to go to federal prison, quit prosecuting them! Because you have dual jurisdiction in all drug cases, let state court prosecutors handle low-level drug cases! The option he has chosen is the least desirable of all three, which is he’s going to continue to prosecute them, he’s just going to ignore the fact that Congress decided there ought to be mandatory minimums for certain drug offense levels!”

Gowdy said he’s personally not in favor of mandatory minimums for drug cases.

“I happen to not think mandatory minimums are a good idea in drug cases. But the way to change that is to change the law, not to go to some conference in San Francisco and play the part of a criminologist and a prison warden!” he said.

Gowdy theorized that Holder is “trying to pay back some political debts” with this move.

“I notice he didn’t do this before the last general election. He waited conveniently until afterward. And again, we’ve had mandatory minimums for a quarter of a century, so I don’t know where he’s been,” he said. “I have yet to hear him comment on the drug culture. I’ve yet to hear him comment on how Hollywood or — or — or certain genres music portray the drug culture. He just wants to pick on prosecutors.”

“Look, we got a great U.S. attorney in South Carolina, a fantastic Obama appointee U.S. attorney. He decided his resources are better spent on health care fraud, mortgage fraud. Don’t prosecute low-level drug dealers, if you’re a federal prosecutor! Let the states do it! It’s an easy fix!”

Gowdy admitted the war on drugs has not been successful, but noted Holder has not come up with an alternative.

“Has he ever seen a child born addicted to methamphetamine? Come look at some crime scene photos when I was a state prosecutor of what people on drugs do to innocent human beings,” he said. “What is his alternative strategy? If he wants to let them out of prison, I don’t think midnight basketball’s going to fix our drug addiction culture! I don’t think more money for schools or whatever other progressive agenda he may come up with — what is his alternative strategy?”

“If he thinks there are too many people in too many prisons for too long, what other strategy does he have? He’s been a prosecutor for about 20 years now. He’s been the AG for five. Other than letting people out of prison early, what is his strategy?”