Today Congress begins its August recess, but House Republicans are moving forward in a civil contempt of Congress lawsuit against Attorney General Eric Holder. While the House voted to hold Holder in contempt with a vote of 255-67, Deputy Attorney General James Cole informed Congress that his department would not even look at the issue, much less prosecute Holder.
NBC reports.….finally, on Fast and Furious,
“We’ll be filing a civil case during the break,” Issa told NBC, “We will expect a day in court before a federal judge, which we have a 100 percent chance that the judge will hold that these documents should be delivered.”
During negotiations between House Republicans and Holder in June, the White House invoked executive privilege on the documents Issa had requested for his investigation. Issa says that a federal judge should find that executive privilege does not apply to the documents he is requesting.
“The idea that you would withhold based on some executive privilege the documents related to a cover up of a crime is absurd, but that’s the claim that the attorney general is hiding behind,” Issa said.
Issa is not about to back down in this matter simply because it is an election year. He is pursuing it fervently to discover the truth and hold all parties involved accountable. After all lives were lost, including two U.S. agents because of negligence and stupidity on the part of the ATF and the DOJ.
“We’re seeking a remedy and the remedy is an order to compel,” Issa said. “Nixon didn’t respond to Congress, he responded to federal judges, ultimately the Supreme Court, ordering that he had no such privilege to cover up the tapes. And these are no different than the Nixon tapes, we’re asking for documents related to a cover up of lying to Congress.”
Just days ago, Congress named five ATF officials who will be held accountable for Operation Fast and Furious and it seems they are wanting to go after the “Big Fish” in the half-baked gunwalking operation.
