It is odd that this letter arrived before the House of Representatives had even transmitted the contempt resolution adopted yesterday to you as the “appropriate United States Attorney” under 2 U.S.C. § 194. Under that statute, the appropriate U.S. Attorney’s “duty . . . shall be to bring the matter before the grand jury for its action.”2
This language is quite clear and simple to comprehend. It is not optional.3 Moreover, the law clearly assigns that duty to you and to no one else. It could have assigned the duty to the Attorney General or to the Deputy Attorney General or some other official. But, it does not. As for the ultimate decision to proceed with a prosecution after you have exercised your duty to present the matter to a grand jury,
http://www.grassley.senate.gov/about/upload/2012-06-29-CEG-to-USA-Machen-contempt-citation.pdf
The drums are getting louder...