by Doug Book, staff writer
As a result of his refusal to honor House committee subpoenas demanding the release of some 70 thousand Fast and Furious-related documents currently withheld by the Department of Justice, Eric Holder faces the very real possibility of arrest and imprisonment by the House of Representatives.
“Your actions lead us to conclude that the [Justice] Department is actively engaged in a cover-up,” wrote House Government Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa to Attorney General Holder just two days before his February 2nd testimony before the Committee. (1)
Stating what interested Americans have known for a year or more, Issa speaks of the contempt in which the Attorney General holds the Republican led House of Representatives and his resulting willingness to ignore subpoenas and set the terms under which he will permit DOJ officials to produce documents or respond to Committee questions.
“During your testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on December 8th, 2011, you stated that the Department of Justice will not produce any responsive documents created after February 4, 2011 regarding Operation Fast and Furious,” writes Issa of Holder’s utter disregard for congressional authority. (1)
And February 4th was a very significant date in the history of Fast and Furious. On that day, Assistant Attorney General Ron Weich addressed a letter to congress, claiming the Department of Justice had allowed no alleged “gunwalking” to take place, directly contradicting the testimony provided Senator Charles Grassley by ATF whistle blowers.
And that lie was maintained by the Department until May 5th when Holder suddenly altered the DOJ’s recollection of events in a meeting of underlings and House committee staff.
Yet with all the evidence of DOJ involvement in the Fast and Furious cover-up and all the complaints of Committee members concerning the non-compliance of Holder and his DOJ herd, the REAL question surrounding the “gunwalking” investigation remains: what, if ANYTHING will Republican controlled House committees DO about it?
Holder has dodged and stalled for a year. He has cited the unending Inspector General’s “ongoing investigation” as a perpetual excuse for refusing to provide information. He has refused to allow DOJ underlings to testify. He stated in no uncertain terms that he would NOT honor subpoenas from the House of Representatives. He even had Kevin O’Reilly, a White House staffer, sent to Iraq to avoid questions from Darrell Issa and House committee members! (2)
Well the House of Representatives does indeed have the power to charge Eric Holder with contempt of congress, just as Darrell Issa threatened in his January 31st letter to the Attorney General.
If Holder does not meet the February 9th deadline given him by Issa for the production of documents subpoenaed by the House, Issa’s committee can cite Holder for contempt and turn the affair over to the full House. If the House should pass a contempt Resolution against the Attorney General, the Sergeant at Arms would have the task of placing Holder under arrest and bringing him to House chambers where he would answer to the charges and subsequently be set free or placed in prison. And should the House wish it, Holder could be KEPT in prison until the next congress takes over in 2013! (3)
Republicans have the power, the authority and the legal and ethical right to put Eric Holder exactly where he belongs for complicity in the breaking of countless laws and the murder of hundreds—Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. But do they have the guts!
Use this site to contact your Congressional Representative:
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
To read more use these links:
1 http://www.foxnews.com/interactive/politics/2012/01/31/contempt-threat-letter-from-issa-to-holder/
2 http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-20114184-10391695.html
3 http://www.examiner.com/crime-in-norfolk/could-eric-holder-go-to-jail-over-fast-and-furious
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Related posts:
- Darrell Issa’s Fast and Furious rebuke of Eric Holder is one for the ages
- Eric Holder’s 5 page whine to Issa Committee: a real scream!
- Eric Holder had his favorite L.A. Times lackey “break” the ATF White Gun story
- Will Republicans let Eric Holder get away with murder?
- Why was Eric Holder thrown under Obama bus in White House document dump?
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Don't forget Withholder, Obama, Hillary, Big Sis and most socialist democrats depise this country. That's why they want to fundamentally change it into a commie state. They think their CAUSE is NOBLE, that's why they will take any steps to push their WARPED IDEALOGICAL VIEWS onto the american people. That includes LYING, WITHHOLDING INFORMATION, SELECTIVE JUSTICE, etc.., WITHHOLDER is playing the NOBLE game with OBAMA's full backing. Theses are dangerous people in powerfull places making decisions based on a perceived lack of SOCIAL JUSTICE. We must politically destroy these socialist democrats in November and boot their commie rear ends all the way to Cuba.
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Neither Grassley nor Issa have even implied that they might jail anyone in the F&F affair. In fact they both have made several statements that they wanted to see to it that it never happened again. This is political weak knees meaning that they will do nothing as to punishment or finding the real instigators of F&F. Could be that the Mexican government is involved?
Quencher,
I guess the only implication of jail would be included in the contempt threat Issa made to Holder in his Jan 31st letter. As I described, contempt conviction by the House means it's an option.
You make a GREAT point. I've often thought of Mexican involvement. The only way Obama can make his "under the radar" scheme to influence a demand for more, tougher anti-gun legislation work is if loads of US purchased "assault weapons" appear in serial number traces done by ATF personnel in Mexico. It would be nice to have Mexican authorities working WITH ATF to make certain guns are "discovered" in raids on a regular basis.
Jaime Zapata was bushwhacked in Mexico. He was killed, the guy he was with only wounded. Yet the murder weapon was discovered, having been left at the scene!!!!! When do killers LEAVE their guns at the scene?
I certainly wouldn't put it PAST Obama to work something out with Mexico. They assist Obama, he recognizes Mexico's claims of "great damage" having been done to the Mexican people as a result of SO many American weapons in Mexico. And naturally, the US attempts to rectify the damage felt by Mexico with a taxpayer CHECK!!!
When it comes to criminality, the Obama Regime make Mexican drug cartels look like beginners.
Thanks for reading and commenting on Coach is Right, Quencher,
Doug
Doug, I read somewhere, just recently, that there are two actions Issa COULD take against Holder…One is the contempt of Congress option…but the other option is more serious…a form of Congressional censure if I remember correctly…….unfortunately I cannot remember what that other option IS…I tried to retrace the source of the article to no avail….Do you know what that other option is?
I suppose all this discussion regarding any punishment for Holder will remain purely academic….as Issa merely issues warnings and threats without seriously damaging Holder… It all FEELS like another game; with a routine and predictable outcome.
Since when does a Congressional committee ask the permission of the defendant (Holder), whether it is okay to prosecute…and, "Oh, by the way, the committee expects you to rat yourself out, so come clean with those document we ordered you to give us" ?
Does the commission have subpoena power? If it does…then dispense with all the B.S. of Holder's stonewalling and call his damn bluff! …..Issue whatever contempt or censure powers are at the committee's disposal…just get off the bloody dime !!
Millions of Americans are watching this charade play out knowing full well that if THEY broke laws their sorry asses would be behind bars YESTERDAY ! ….And they're P.Oed by the double standards.
Issa and Grassley either HAVE the necessary documentation to force Holder's censure and removal from office, or they Do NOT…
If they do NOT, then this congressional "Dog and Pony Show" needs to end now.
Perhaps this is what angers many of us the most about Congress….outside of the very few individuals who have managed to keep their principles intact; in the main, no one in Congress appears to take ethics, lying, stone-walling, criminality, and malfeasance-in-office very seriously….and no one ever seems to have to pay the price for their wrong-doings in the upper echelons where these decisions are actually made….Let's get "real" here…can you imagine a staff Captain in the Air Force planning and committing to a questionable operation without the express permission of his supervising officer?? No Way ! There are civilian equations which are axiomatic also.
Yet, when it comes to our government agencies and bureaucracies… the big-boss criminals will hang-out to dry some lesser participant to take the fall….and we peons are supposed to accept as "good" that the Hearing Committee has wrapped a pretty ribbon and bow around the "little-fish" ….while the Planner-sharks get off Scott Free…I don't think so.
This is the kind of stuff pulled by government that drives citizens up a wall, in rage, disgust and contempt…
If and when Issa's committee does more than threaten…and IF Boehner manages to keep his nose out of this hearing…then I MAY get off my bicycle and come back for a second look-see….but as things stand now….I'm not gonna hold my breath waiting for this committee to do the right thing.
What this country needs is a good ole tar and feather dance at the WH by US patriots. We need to let these people know we mean business. We LOVE our country the way the founders intended it to be.
I for one am getting very tired of lies and corruption coming from THE PEOPLES HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wake up America vote out all incumbents
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