Posted on 10/04/2011 11:00:46 AM PDT by Nachum
Just the facts:
On May 3, 2011, Attorney General Eric Holder appeared before Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) and the House Oversight Committee for questioning on Fast and Furious.
During questioning, Issa asked: When did you first know about the program called Fast and Furious?
Holder responded: Im not sure of the exact date, but I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks
As Ive written elsewhere, at the very moment Holder gave this answer, it was a safe bet he was being less than completely honest with the Congressional committee. But now the evidence, having become insurmountable in just the past 48 hours, makes it crystal clear that Holder lied to Issa and the House Oversight Committee.
Proof:
Reports CBS NEWS: [Holder] was sent briefings back as far as 2010. Briefings on Fast and Furious that is, beginning at least as early as July 2010. (In other words, Holder began receiving briefings on Fast and Furious ten months before his May 3rd Congressional testimony.)
And on October 18, 2010, documents show that Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer sent communiqués to Holder warning that indictments for Fast and Furious could come soon.
In response to this growing mound of evidence against him, Holder is now saying he misunderstood that question from Congress [on May 3rd], that he did know about Fast and Furious, just not the details
(Excerpt) Read more at biggovernment.com ...
Holder lied.
He should be charged.
Who is going to charge him? Only the Justice Department can bring charges. The only way an independent counsel can be appointed is if the Attorney General recuses himself. All he has to declare is that there is "nothing to investigate" and that would be the end of it.
The only recourse Congress has is to impeach him. But to impeach the first Black Attorney General would be viewed as "racist".
Holder holds the keys to his own prison cell. Does anyone think he is going to give them to someone else?
Show the proof, and take the "son of a bitch out".
Isn’t Congress empowered to charge or arrest those who lie to Congress?
No. They have only legislative power and the power to impeach. The Justice Department is the only agency authorized to bring criminal charges. Congress has no power to bring any criminal charges except for impeachment. Even a contempt of congress charge must be referred to the Attorney General for prosecution. In effect, if the Attorney General has committed a federal crime, the Attorney General is the only person authorized to bring charges.
In this case, unless Holder recuses himself and appoints a special counsel, he is immune from prosecution (until a new administration comes in, or he is fired by the President).
re: All he has to do is say, I forgot................./Steve Martin
That brought back memories! (Actually, it is not a bad ploy for democrats. It has worked time and time again.)
Even Congress won’t go after him. So I guess it does not matter much. The most congress will do is say that was a bad boy.
re: Isnt Congress empowered to charge or arrest those who lie to Congress?
Isn’t that the reason Martha Stewart went to prison?
What do you think?
Inherent contemptUnder this process, the procedure for holding a person in contempt involves only the chamber concerned. Following a contempt citation, the person cited is arrested by the Sergeant-at-Arms for the House or Senate, brought to the floor of the chamber, held to answer charges by the presiding officer, and then subjected to punishment as the chamber may dictate (usually imprisonment for punishment reasons, imprisonment for coercive effect, or release from the contempt citation).
Concerned with the time-consuming nature of a contempt proceeding and the inability to extend punishment further than the session of the Congress concerned (under Supreme Court rulings), Congress created a statutory process in 1857. While Congress retains its "inherent contempt" authority and may exercise it at any time, this inherent contempt process was last used by the Senate in 1934, in a Senate investigation of airlines and the U.S. Postmaster. After a one-week trial on the Senate floor (presided over by the Vice-President of the United States, acting as Senate President), William P. MacCracken, a lawyer and former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics who had allowed clients to rip up subpoenaed documents, was found guilty and sentenced to 10 days imprisonment.[5]
MacCracken filed a petition of habeas corpus in federal courts to overturn his arrest, but after litigation, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Congress had acted constitutionally, and denied the petition in the case Jurney v. MacCracken.[6][7]
Presidential pardons appear not to apply to a civil contempt procedure such as the above, since it is not an "offense against the United States" or against "the dignity of public authority."[8]
Why aren’t We The People demanding Holder’s resignation and investigations into every aspect of this Regime from the Oval Office down to dog catcher?
‘cuz he and the president are “black”.
Any other questions, sweety?
Once the MSM realizes that Obama doesn’t have a chance in H3ll of getting re-elected, they will start dog piling on him. I expect in another 4-6 months from now.
Once Fast and Furious’s hammer drops all the other stuff will come down on him. Just in time for the summer of rage ‘12.
Mark my words
That is no excuse and you know it. If you think we are to bow to fear, what are we doing here - right on FR if even freepers post ‘the roll over and play dead’ wish of the commies as if it’s the law of the land.
I cannot believe the number of pessimistic “nothing will come of this” posts.
I think this is the tip of the iceberg and it’s going to blow apart. The littler guys are going to sing - fed prison isn’t that nice, and I bet some would rather do 3 or 5 years the 30 years in exchange for info on the big guys.
Oops, correction:
I bet some would rather do 3 or 5 years rather than 30 years in exchange for info on the big guys.
And I’m sure the Re-pube-icans in the House haven’t got the spine to “hold” Holder in contempt.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.