House GOP to distribute draft contempt citation against Eric Holder over "gunwalking"
Source: CBS
(CBS News) Republicans on the House Oversight Committee were to take the first formal step Thursday toward contempt proceedings against Attorney General Eric Holder over the Fast and Furious "gunwalking" operation, CBS News has learned.
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The documents allege that the Justice Department has issued, "false denials, given answers intended to misdirect investigators, sought to intimidate witnesses, unlawfully withheld subpoenaed documents, and waited to be confronted with indisputable evidence before acknowledging uncomfortable facts."
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For its part, the Justice Department says it has complied with the congressional investigations, led by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa).
"We've done twice-a-month (document) productions since last year, and the Attorney General has testified about this matter no less than seven times," a Justice official tells CBS News.
There have been at least three House contempt actions against the Executive Branch in the past 30 years.
Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57426710-503544/house-gop-to-distribute-draft-contempt-citation-against-eric-holder-over-gunwalking/
some background links
Documents Suggest Bush Administration Used 'Fast And Furious' Tactics
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/01/05/144761413/documents-suggest-bush-administration-used-fast-and-furious-tactics
Documents Highlight Bush-Era Incident Pre-Dating Fast and Furious
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/10/new-documents-reveal-previous-problems-with-atf-phoenix-cases/
tularetom
(23,664 posts)Eric Holder hasn't really handled this well and he probably deserves to have his weenie wacked over it.
But this screwed up mess did not originate with the Obama Justice Dept., it was initiated in 2005 or 2006 by ATF during the Bush administration and although it was well known by the justice dept that gunwalking was going on, they made no arrests or indictments during the years from 2006-2009.
hack89
(39,171 posts)There were two separate operations Operation Wide Receiver was Bush's and ended in 2007. Operation Fast and Furious was started in 2009.
There were indictments and arrests when the Obama DOJ investigated Operation Wide Receiver starting in 2009. The Republicans want a similar investigation into Fast and Furious
appal_jack
(3,813 posts)I despise Issa, and am sure he will exhibit utmost hypocrisy during any further investigations. But the fact remains that the BATFE broke the law, and Holder may very well have helped them cover it up.
Holder has displayed an awful disregard for the Constitution, not only with respect to guns, but also his drug-warrior bullshit too. Were he to fall on the gunwalking sword, I would shed no tears.
-app
goclark
(30,404 posts)Rethugs in action.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)the years - why is there no list of gop obstruction events? We here at DU need to compile a list of all the NO Party's accomplishments at obstruction in order to destroy our president. This is just another in a long line. Once compiled the list of obstructions should be sent along the internet in the same way the gop sends their hate messages. To eveyone and anyone.
the list was looooooooooooooooog for all the absolute "needing jail time" things done by the Bush Administration and there were always crickets.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)cin63
(37 posts)started this program under Bush? Am I wrong on this?
bayareaboy
(793 posts)finger pointing in the right direction!
hack89
(39,171 posts)Operation Wide Receiver was Bush's and ended in 2007. Operation Fast and Furious was started in 2009.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATF_gunwalking_scandal
groundloop
(11,519 posts)and the House repubs are desperate for anything to to discredit the administration in an election year.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)Iliyah
(25,111 posts)with Bushies
Where are the effing jobs!
Jester Messiah
(4,711 posts)Note to GOP: Nobody cares.
lsewpershad
(2,620 posts)Issa up for re-election??????
onehandle
(51,122 posts)Johnny Rico
(1,438 posts)hack89
(39,171 posts)silly me.
MicaelS
(8,747 posts)Just like Alcohol Prohibition gave rise to a new class of criminals who used guns to further their trade, the same thing has happened with Drug Prohibition. Full automatic weapons (machine guns) were legal to own before Prohibition, and people weren't slaughtering one another.
So this country has had TWO failed attempts at Prohibition, and you want to try a THIRD with Gun Prohibition?
friendly_iconoclast
(15,333 posts)onehandle
(51,122 posts)See above this post.
'My precious.'