Holder Scolds Congressman over Contempt: 'You don't want to go there, buddy!'

During a House committee hearing today, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) suggested that Attorney General Eric Holder did not mind it when Congress held him in contempt over the Fast and Furious investigation. That sparked a bitter response from Holder.

Holder was promising the committee staff to provide it with requested documents, and Gohmert replied that the Justice Department’s response so far had been “inadequate.”

“And I realize that contempt is not a big deal to our attorney general, but it is important we have proper oversight,” Gohmert said, referring to the 2012 vote that held Holder in contempt. President Obama eventually buried that scandal by invoking executive privilege.

Holder fired back at Gohmert: “You don’t want to go there buddy. You don’t want to go there.”

Gohmert: “I don’t want to go there?”

Holder: “No.”

Gohmert: “About the contempt?”

Holder: “You should not assume that that is not a big deal to me. I think it was inappropriate and it was unjust. But never think that that was not a big deal to me. Don’t ever think that.”

Gohmert: “Well, I’m just looking for evidence and normally we’re known by our fruits. And there have no indications that it was a big deal because your department has still not been forthcoming in producing the documents that were the subject of the contempt.”