House committee schedules contempt vote against Holder

CBS News ^ | June 11, 2012 | Sharyl Attkisson

[Raebie]

(CBS News) CBS News has learned the House Oversight Committee will vote next week on whether to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress. It's the fourth time in 30 years that Congress has launched a contempt action against an executive branch member.

This time, the dispute stems from Holder failing to turn over documents subpoenaed on October 12, 2011 in the Fast and Furious "gunwalking" investigation.

The Justice Department has maintained it has cooperated fully with the congressional investigation, turning over tens of thousands of documents and having Holder testify to Congress on the topic at least eight times.

However, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., says the Justice Department has refused to turn over tens of thousands of pages of documents. Those include materials created after Feb. 4, 2011, when the Justice Department wrote a letter to Congress saying no gunwalking had occurred. The Justice Department later retracted the denial.

"The Obama Administration has not asserted Executive Privilege or any other valid privilege over these materials and it is unacceptable that the Department of Justice refuses to produce them. These documents pertain to Operation Fast and Furious, the claims of whistleblowers, and why it took the Department nearly a year to retract false denials of reckless tactics," Issa wrote in an announcement of the vote to be released shortly. It will reveal the vote is scheduled for Wednesday, June 20.

[JoeProBono]

[halfright]

I am AMAZED CBS has covered this. I had lost all faith in MSM. There may be hope for them yet. riiiiiiiight...

[Cheerio]

Maybe someone can answer the question as to whether Erik Holder can direct the US Marshall Service to interfer with it's official duties?? Here is AZ, our county Sheriff is not taking any crap from Holder or Obama (America's toughest Sheriff - also google oath keepers - Richard Mack "We do not take orders from the President")



28 USC § 564 - Powers as sheriff
United States marshals, deputy marshals and such other officials of the Service as may be designated by the Director, in executing the laws of the United States within a State, may exercise the same powers which a sheriff of the State may exercise in executing the laws thereof.


28 USC § 566 - Powers and duties This preliminary release may be subject to further revision before it is released again as a final version. As with other online versions of the Code, the U.S. Code Classification Tables should be consulted for the latest laws affecting the Code. Those using the USCPrelim should verify the text against the printed slip laws available from GPO (Government Printing Office), the laws as shown on THOMAS (a legislative service of the Library of Congress), and the final version of the Code when it becomes available.

Current through Pub. L. 112-106. (See Public Laws for the current Congress.)

(a) There is hereby established a United States Marshals Service as a bureau within the Department of Justice under the authority and direction of the Attorney General. There shall be at the head of the United States Marshals Service (hereafter in this chapter referred to as the “Service”) a Director who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

(b) The Director of the United States Marshals Service (hereafter in this chapter referred to as the “Director”) shall, in addition to the powers and duties set forth in this chapter, exercise such other functions as may be delegated by the Attorney General.

(c) The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, a United States marshal for each judicial district of the United States and for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, except that any marshal appointed for the Northern Mariana Islands may at the same time serve as marshal in another judicial district. Each United States marshal shall be an official of the Service and shall serve under the direction of the Director.

(d) Each marshal shall be appointed for a term of four years. A marshal shall, unless that marshal has resigned or been removed by the President, continue to perform the duties of that office after the end of that 4-year term until a successor is appointed and qualifies.

(e) The Director shall designate places within a judicial district for the official station and offices of each marshal. Each marshal shall reside within the district for which such marshal is appointed, except that—
(1) the marshal for the District of Columbia, for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and for the Southern District of New York may reside within 20 miles of the district for which the marshal is appointed; and
(2) any marshal appointed for the Northern Mariana Islands who at the same time is serving as marshal in another district may reside in such other district.

(f) The Director is authorized to appoint and fix the compensation of such employees as are necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the Service and may designate such employees as law enforcement officers in accordance with such policies and procedures as the Director shall establish pursuant to the applicable provisions of title 5 and regulations issued thereunder.

(g) The Director shall supervise and direct the United States Marshals Service in the performance of its duties.

(h) The Director may administer oaths and may take affirmations of officials and employees of the Service, but shall not demand or accept any fee or compensation therefor.

(i) Each marshal appointed under this section should have—
(1) a minimum of 4 years of command-level law enforcement management duties, including personnel, budget, and accountable property issues, in a police department, sheriff’s office or Federal law enforcement agency;
(2) experience in coordinating with other law enforcement agencies, particularly at the State and local level; (3) college-level academic experience; and
(4) experience in or with county, State, and Federal court systems or experience with protection of court personnel, jurors, and witnesses.

[halfright]

Thanks for the links...

I sent this to Meehan...

Hello Pat, I write to ask you to keep the pressure on Holder to produce those documents from F&F to Mr.Issa. Failing that I ask that you support the case for Contempt. Thank you,

[Kevin in California]

The US Marshall’s need to pull Holder out of his office by his nose and into a jail cell to await charges for the accessory to murder of Brian Terry. If that doesn’t work, then he needs to be shuttled to Mexico and charged for the murder of Mexican citizens.

[Kaslin]

Here is the memo and draft version of the Contempt report (PDf)

Memorandum

[voicereason]

Why wait a week?

Exactly. The out for he Obama henchmen is right in the article. Obama just needs to assert executive privilege regarding the docs that haven't been turned over. Could this be just another dog-n-pony show?

[Brown Deer]

CBS News has learned the House Oversight Committee will vote next week on whether to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress. It's the fourth time in 30 years that Congress has launched a contempt action against an executive branch member.

Here's a list of the Oversight Committee Members who will be voting on this.

[BCR #226]

They are part of DOJ but they won’t hesitate to fulfill an order from Congress on such a charge. If they won’t, I’m sure that there are others that will.

[TigersEye]

However, in the history of contempt of congress citation, most people cough up the documents. Actual jail time is rare and last happened in 1983.

That is the pinch they need to put Holder in because he hasn't been witHolding them for "operational security" likes he keeps claiming. You just know 0baMao is in there somewhere and that's why there has been a year of lies, false documents and stalling.

The Dems and MSM will fight this tooth and nail.

[CPO retired]

The only hope I see is for this to somehow come to the attention of the public. For how long can the msm keep this buried from the unwashed masses? I think PR is the only hope. because holder ant the DOJ have all the guns and muscle, don’t they?

[Lazamataz]

If impeached, this bastard will sit in his office and say, "Come f***in get me."

And even if they do, there would be a firefight.

THAT'S how corrupt this son of a bitch is.

[chessplayer]

Big deal. Nothing will happen even if, and thats a very big if, they get the votes.

[servo1969]

It doesn't make me happy to say this but Holder is untouchable. NOTHING will ever happen to him. He cannot be punished by anyone, anywhere. Why? He literally has a “Get Out of Jail Free” card - better known as a presidential pardon. If it ever, and this unlikely, gets to the point where he is in serious danger of prosecution he will be issued a golden ticket from up on high. He will then proceed to hold a press conference which will be the verbal equivalent of him standing at a podium for 10 minutes while holding up both middle fingers to every available camera.

I'm sorry but that's just how it is.

Unless...

Someone feels he has become a liability. Someone might feel that their own neck is more important than he is. Say, if someone decides to give him the double-cross instead.

But I don't think that's likely.

[lodi90]

Obama just needs to assert executive privilege regarding the docs that haven't been turned over. Could this be just another dog-n-pony show?

Yes, I think that is what we have here. Issa is going after the cover up paper trail here and there is no way stooges like Jarrett will allow hard evidence of WH complicity. The WH will let this string out a bit. Then, amid much histrionics about a unprecedentedly partisan GOP, they will claim victimhood and executive privilege.

[bgill]

If, and that’s a big IF, they bring on the vote it’ll be about as effective as BJ’s impeachment. Zip, nada, nothing is going to happen to him.

[kidd]

I agree.

Considering Obama’s suspicious statements to Mexico about gun control before F & F became known, I believe that Obama is a key player.

And yes, Dems/MSM will circle the wagons on this one. Issa is up for the fight, but I doubt Boehner is.

[GeorgeWashingtonsGhost]

Just like if SCOTUS overturns 0bamacare, 0bama will implement it anyway.

[Churchillspirit]

Boehner votes no.

Really?

I thought the vote was not until June 20th.

[Churchillspirit]

....pigmentation immunity.

LOL! Love it!