Posted on 08/12/2012 5:33:08 PM PDT by Kaslin
House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa plans to sue Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday for refusing to provide documents related to the "Fast and Furious" gun-smuggling operation.
"The committee expects to file the civil contempt suit against the attorney general Monday," a Republican source said. The suit will be filed in the federal district court for the District of Columbia.
The action is the latest escalation in the dispute between House Republicans and the Justice Department over the documents, which relate to a botched gun-smuggling operation.
On June 28, the House voted to hold Holder in contempt of Congress and authorized the Oversight panel to bring suit to enforce its rights.
In Fast and Furious, agents for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allowed assault guns to "walk," which meant ending surveillance on weapons suspected to be en route to Mexican drug cartels.
The tactic, which was intended to allow agents to track criminal networks by finding the guns at crime scenes, was condemned after two guns that were part of the operation were found at Border Patrol agent Brian Terry's murder scene.
In the most recent conflict between Congress and the president over a Congressional subpoena, Democrats' and Republicans' roles were reversed.
The Democratic-led House held two White House aides, Harriet Miers and Josh Bolten, in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with subpoenas issued to the George W. Bush administration. Republicans, including Issa, defended the administration, while Democrats said it was unlawful.
After the House held Miers and Bolten in contempt, the Judiciary Committee sued the two aides in federal district court.
In August 2008, a federal judge ordered Miers to testify and Bolten to turn over documents, overruling the administration's claim of executive privilege. That ruling was appealed.
In March 2009, a year after the suit was filed, Miers and Karl Rove, who had also become ensnared in a separate contempt proceeding, agreed to testify behind closed doors to the House Judiciary Committee. The deal broke the stalemate.
The media will scream racism, and prominent Comm.. I mean Democrats will laugh Issa out of the building.
Democrats had the media behind them then, and they have the media behind them now.
go for the jugular Issa, don’t hold back.
So what? It’s up to the Judge. Lock the perp up, he’s a flight risk!
Damned if you do, and damned if you don't. Should be nice to see what happens...
True.
But, in 1974, the media were the only voice. And most folks believed them.
Today, it's a little different...
Despite alternate media, how many people bother to search the internet to get information? It’s doubly hard when you have people like Obama that try to scrub damning information before too many people have the chance to see it.
Plenty more than used to. And more tomorrow.
The MSM's audience and influence is shrinking everyday.
"Harry Reid demands I release 10 years of tax returns, to prove my innocence. But Eric Holder refuses to release documents of an illegal operation that smuggled weapons directly to drug cartels in a foreign country, that have been linked to the deaths of a federal officer and OVER 300 innocent Mexican citizens. And after the House cites Holder in contempt of congress, Obama declares "executive privilege."
Harry Reid asks what Mr Romney is hiding in his tax records? The American people deserve to know what the Obama administration is hiding in blocking the release of documents pertaining to illegal international gun running and hundreds of murders!"
I hope they grow a pair and do it!
Mark
Unfortunately this will amount to exactly nothing. And even if Holder were forced to comply then the precedent is set. Always stone wall Congress because you have nothing to lose by doing so. The very worst thing that can happen to Holder is that he has to give up what he does not want to give up. And that would be a long way down the road.
It appears to be another dog and pony show, so I don’t quite understand why Issa is going through the motions with this.
WithHolder, that’s Eric WithHolder.....
I’ll wait and see if anything really happens.....
Farrakhan, Rev. Wright or Van Jones?
Glad to hear this.
Issa keeps pushing forward.
You are correct.
You should pay closer attention to Free Republic and then you wouldn’t expose your ignorance. We have learned every day of what has been learned by the committee and put forward as evidence culminating in a contempt resolution.
Issa is doing what he lawfully can. He’s not a dictator. If Holder were a Republican the media would have gotten him hounded out of office by now and facing perjury charges. These are the simple facts of the country we live in.
Holder will simply arrest Issa for Aggravated Felony Obstruction of the Administration.
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