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.Issa says the Justice Department can still put a stop to the contempt process at any time by turning over the subpoenaed documents.If the House Oversight Committee approves the contempt citation, the matter would likely be scheduled for a full House vote.For several weeks, there has been closed-door discussions and debate among House Republicans as to whether to move forward with contempt. Some have expressed concern that it could distract from the Republican's focus on the economy in this election year.Led by Republicans Senator Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Issa, Congress' investigation into Fast and Furious is now in its second year. In the ATF operation, agents allowed thousands of weapons to "walk" into the hands of Mexican drug cartels in the hope it would somehow help ATF take down a major cartel. Some of the weapons were used in the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry at the hands of illegal immigrants crossing into Arizona. Mexican press reports say hundreds of Mexicans have died at the hands of the trafficked weapons. The story was exposed nationally for the first time by CBS News in February 2011.Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have called the Republicans' move to find Holder in contempt a politically-motivated "witch hunt."In 1983, Congress found EPA administrator Anne Gorsuch Burford in contempt for failing to produce subpoenaed documents.In 1998, the GOP-controlled House Oversight committee found Attorney General Janet Reno in contempt for failing to comply with a subpoena on campaign finance law violations.In 2008, the Democratic-led House Oversight Committee found former White House counsel Harriet Miers and Chief of Staff John Bolton in contempt for failing to cooperate with an inquiry into whether a purge of federal prosecutors by the Bush administration was politically motivated.Congress went to federal court to seek enforcement of that contempt action, but a compromise was reached with the Executive Branch before any court decision was final.
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The house of cards continues to crumble.Comment -
I give it til Thurs and the Congressional Black caucus will be on the networks calling Issa a racist for going after the black atty general.
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Gee, we wonder how top secret shit gets to the public.
"Some have expressed concern that it could distract from the Repubs focus on the economy in this election year".
ROFL!!!
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I wonder what Issa's constituents think about their representative acting like his job is to investigate the Obama administration instead of represent them.
Issa, the only member of congress who is a convicted felon, doesn't exactly have a closet void of skeketons himself.Comment -
He's confused, he thinks a misdemeanor (from 30 years ago yet) is a felony.
100 dollar fine.... 3 months probation.... that's equivalent to what I would get if I was busted for failing to clean up my dog poop on the sidewalk.Comment -
Yep, it was 6 mo probation for having a pistol in his glove box...plead guilty to possession of the unregistered handgun and got NO FELONY whatsoever.
I'ver heard that "Issa's a felon" perpetuated by many on the left for years now....ever since the Gray Davis deal. Those who wanna believe it simply repeat it because it sounds good but it's patently false.
Turd....you're a smart dude, don't believe everything you hear when you listen to Hartman in the rig brotha.Comment -
Of course, having an unregistered pistol, 44 rounds of ammo, and a tear gas gun is only a felony if it's an "urban" youth who doesn't have the means to get more than a public defender. The Darrell Issas can simply say it's for their protection and get off with a fine and probation.
So I should have said convicted criminal instead of felon, ok. My point was that there's no disputing the fact that Issa is scum.
Great piece here, a true representative of we the people.Turd....you're a smart dude, don't believe everything you hear when you listen to Hartman in the rig brotha.
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Of course, having an unregistered pistol, 44 rounds of ammo, and a tear gas gun is only a felony if it's an "urban" youth who doesn't have the means to get more than a public defender. The Darrell Issas can simply say it's for their protection and get off with a fine and probation.
So I should have said convicted criminal instead of felon, ok. My point was that there's no disputing the fact that Issa is scum.
Great piece here, a true representative of we the people.
No no no....a plea to a misdemeanor and a conviction on a felony are TOTALLY opposite. Not only statutorily but in sentencing and finding. I'll take your opinion that probably shouldn't be trusted with your kids or CC for a weekend....but he's no convicted felon.
You have to admit though, he's a tough politician now and no matter what his past decades ago might be...he's 'evolved'
The guy is a self made millioniare that started with a GED so maybe thats why all of the liberals hate him...the guy had no education and was arrested by police....that means a life of govt dependency and excuses for no life progression for a Democrat but Issa said to himself, I'm a conservative and am responsible for my own life course....boom...the guy has a net worth more than Romney now and is head of oversight for the United States Congress.....I applaud him.Comment -
Itchy it's a patent falsehood that liberals don't wamt people to make money off of a good marketable idea. It's just not true, and many liberals have done just that.
I myself had a Viper alarm back in the day with Darrell Issa's voice telling people to back away from my Dodge Dart.
Any congressman who has Goldman Sachs exectutives ON THEIR STAFF(that would be Darrell Issa), and yet spends all their time trying to cook up schemes to accuse one of the cleanest presidents of our generation of corruption is beyond sickening.Comment -
You do realize Obama also has Golden Slacks people right? They are everywhere.
You don't like Issa and support Holder in not handing over the documents showing his complicity in the gun running even though Executive Priviledge hasn't been claimed as the reason...fine...that's your rightful opinion. I'm simply saying don't call Issa a convicted felon because of a plea on a misdemeanor because that's not an ideological side it's just reality. Otherwise I'm sure you have mailed a payment in on a speeding ticket before right? Didn't go to court and challenge it? So you plead no contest....you're a convicted felon then by your theory. Sure it didn't classify as a felony and/ or hold punishment of one year or more in jail....but why let facts get in the way of a good story.Comment
