Posted on 06/11/2012 11:18:58 AM PDT by lbryce
The House of Representatives is moving forward with proceedings to hold Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. in contempt of Congress a major escalation in the separation-of-powers battle over Fast and Furious, the Obama administrations botched gun-walking operation.
Rep. Darrell E. Issa, California Republican and chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said his panel will take up the contempt issue next week, and the move has the blessing of House Speaker John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican.
The Justice Department is out of excuses, Mr. Boehner said in a statement Monday morning. 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.
Both Mr. Holder and President Obama have acknowledged the operation which allowed guns to be sold to straw purchasers in the U.S. with the knowledge they were being sent across the border to Mexican cartels was wrong. But they said the operation was handled entirely by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives employees, with little oversight at the Justice Department.
Mr. Issa, though, is investigating who in the Justice Department knew of the operations tactics. He has obtained sealed affidavits supporting wiretaps that he says indicate top Justice officials knew the tactics.
His committee issued a subpoena for documents in October, and Mr. Issa said Monday that the Justice Department still is withholding information in violation of that.
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, Mr. Issa said.
(Excerpt) Read more at p.washingtontimes.com ...
Seems to me that the ‘contempt’ is mutual...
Betcha Bonehead will bend.
He always has.
And he most probably always will.
Started about the time he lost his cojones.
Contempt? I thought that was obvious.
Question is, how can they punish him? Can they stick holder in jail? Or do they need help from the DoJ to do that?
Find that loose end, unravel the knot or just
cut through the bullsh*t.
Once this breaks open, the press will flip polarity
and fireworks will happen, after all, it’s all about
ratings with them.
Yeah, he’ll be held in contempt just like Obama was a couple months ago when he and his attorneys failed to show up in court over the BC. Oh, uh, he was given a pass, never mind.
Contempt charges means nothing to this communists empire in control of America.
So, he’s found in contempt.
Then what?
My bets are on, absolutely nothing.
If it goes to “culture of contempt” for Congress in The O Administration, it’ll help taint reelection. About all I hoped for out of Fast and Furious, though I’m open to more dire consequences for H and O.
Yep. That's what the holding cell is for.
If the House does not put a check on Holder, Holder will come after individual House members. Right now, Holder has 2 DOJ lawyers investigating congress over the intelligence leaks that certainly come from the WH. Holder is also trying to steal the election for zero by forcing states to drop their voter ID laws and stopping the states from purging their rolls of the dead and illegals.
The GOP must go on the attack now, or else they will be under Holder’s boot. Who knows, maybe Boner actually wants Holder to go after those pesky conservatives that want new leadership.
Related...
http://www.exposingtheleft.blogspot.com/2012/06/house-committee-schedules-contempt-vote.html
As anyone with a modicum of intelligence knows, that is a load of manure. To say that atf (they don't deserve caps at this point) did this on their own would be like saying Southern Command invaded El Salvador on their own.
F&F was hatched, discussed and authorized at the highest levels of what currently passes for gubmint in 'Merca.
Geez...do it already.
I used to think so, but I have seen way too many times where the MSM will gladly give up ratings in order to push the "Progressive" agenda. Agenda beats ratings every time in the last few years.
President Obama's Justice Department secretly allowed guns to be illegally given to Mexican drug cartels as part of a program that led to the death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent and hundreds more in Mexico; but more than a year later, we still don't have answers.
What do you call that? A cover-up. The American people deserve the truth from Obama's DOJ.
Sign the ACLJ's Petition for the Truth about Operation Fast & Furious.
The DOJ misled Congress on its role in the program, and Attorney General Holder refuses to turn over documents and answer questions from congressional investigators.
Here is how Congressman Issa, who is leading Congress's investigation, summed it up: "You don't lie to Congress, and then lie about lying to Congress and then lie about knowing you lied to Congress and then not fire the people who did all of that and have it be anything but a cover-up."
Time is running out for AG Holder and Obama's DOJ to tell the full truth.
They can, however, impress clueless voters with the perfidy of the current Administration. They might even remember this come election time.
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.