Holder Doesn't Produce F&F Documents

[hogger129]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012...ents-contempt/

GOP Rep. Darrell Issa said his face-to-face meeting Tuesday with Attorney General Eric Holder failed to produce the documents requested for the congressional investigation into the Justice Department’s botched Fast and Furious gun walking operation and suggested he needs them by Wednesday morning to stop a scheduled vote to put Holder in contempt of Congress.

Issa told reporters after the roughly 20-minute meeting that Holder instead briefed them on the documents in lieu of delivering them. And he suggested he might delay the contempt vote, called for because Holder and the department have not responded to two subpoenas requesting additional information.

“The deadline will always move to the last minute,” said Issa, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. “We're not looking to hold people responsible. We're looking for document production.”

Issa also acknowledged being “disappointed” that he and Holder could not reach a deal that would stop the contempt vote.

The failed Fast and Furious operation attempted selling thousands of guns to arms dealers along the U.S.-Mexico border to trace them to leaders of drug cartels. However, many of them showed up in crime scenes, including where U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry was killed in a shoot out.

Congressional investigators have been trying to determine if and when high-level Justice officials knew about problems with the operation.

Holder said Issa rejected what he thought was “an extraordinary offer.”

"We offered the documents that we thought would resolve the subpoenas,” he said. “The ball is in their court.”

The contempt vote in the oversight committee will likely pass considering Republicans outnumber Democrats 22 to 16.

GOP House leadership has given Issa the green light to proceed how he sees fit, sources told Fox News, which suggests the vote would reach the House floor.

Holder called for the Capitol Hill meeting late Monday in a possible attempt to make a deal with Issa and avoid the contempt vote.

Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the House oversight panel, said he after the meeting he is confident that Justice officials are not attempting a cover-up by withholding documents.

Holder’s letter stated the Justice Department "has offered a serious, good faith proposal to bring this matter to an amicable resolution in the form of a briefing based on documents that the committee could retain."

Issa had demanded to see a trove of documents on the controversial Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives operation. He also wants to know who prepared a now-retracted letter from Feb. 4, 2011, in which the department claimed the U.S. did not knowingly help smuggle guns to Mexico, including those found where Terry was killed.

Issa wrote back to Holder later Monday requesting he deliver roughly 1,300 documents pertaining to the Feb. 4 letter.

The letter also stated Holder needed to deliver a description of all the documents he will not produce. Issa said the log is "essential for the committee to determine whether the department has substantially met its obligations” – a statement he repeated Tuesday after the meeting.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012...#ixzz1yLK9EJVZ

[hogger129]

DEVELOPING ...

President Obama has granted an 11th-hour request by Attorney General Eric Holder to exert executive privilege over Fast and Furious documents, a last-minute maneuver that appears unlikely to head off a contempt vote against Holder by Republicans in the House.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is expected to forge ahead with its meeting on the contempt resolution anyway.

ORIGINAL STORY ...

House Republicans appear to be charging ahead with a high-drama contempt vote against Eric Holder, after GOP Rep. Darrell Issa said the attorney generally failed to produce the documents he requested for the probe into the Justice Department's botched Fast and Furious operation.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday. Barring a last-minute document dump from Holder, lawmakers are poised to vote on a contempt resolution following debate this morning.

If the vote proceeds, Republicans have more than enough votes on committee to pass the resolution. However, Holder would not be considered to be held in contempt of Congress unless and until the full House approves the measure.

Issa and Holder have been going back and forth since last week over Issa's request for documents. Issa, R-Calif., indicated a willingness to postpone the vote after Holder indicated a willingness to make compromises and supply some documents in response to House Republicans' subpoena.

But Issa told reporters after a roughly 20-minute meeting with Holder Tuesday that the attorney general instead briefed them on the documents in lieu of delivering them.

Issa told Fox News that Holder didn't provide "anything in writing," and said the family of murdered Border Patrol agent Brian Terry wants the documents as much as he does.

"We want the documents. Brian Terry's family would like the documents that are responsive to how in fact their son was gunned down with weapons that came from lawful dealers but at the ... behest of the Justice Department," Issa told Fox News.

Weapons from the Fast and Furious anti-gunrunning operation were found at Terry's murder scene.

Issa suggested earlier Tuesday that the vote could still be up in the air.

"The deadline will always move to the last minute," said Issa, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. "We're not looking to hold people responsible. We're looking for document production."

The failed Fast and Furious operation attempted selling thousands of guns to arms dealers along the U.S.-Mexico border to trace them to leaders of drug cartels. However, many of them showed up in crime scenes.

Congressional investigators have been trying to determine if and when high-level Justice officials knew about problems with the operation.

Holder said Issa rejected what he thought was "an extraordinary offer."

"We offered the documents that we thought would resolve the subpoenas," he said. "The ball is in their court."

The contempt vote in the oversight committee will likely pass considering Republicans outnumber Democrats 22 to 16.

GOP House leadership has given Issa the green light to proceed how he sees fit, sources told Fox News, which suggests the vote would reach the House floor.

Holder called for the Capitol Hill meeting late Monday in a possible attempt to make a deal with Issa and avoid the contempt vote.

Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the House oversight panel, said he after the meeting he is confident that Justice officials are not attempting a cover-up by withholding documents.

Holder's letter stated the Justice Department "has offered a serious, good faith proposal to bring this matter to an amicable resolution in the form of a briefing based on documents that the committee could retain."

Issa had demanded to see a trove of documents on the controversial Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives operation. He also wants to know who prepared a now-retracted letter from Feb. 4, 2011, in which the department claimed the U.S. did not knowingly help smuggle guns to Mexico, including those found where Terry was killed.

Issa wrote back to Holder later Monday requesting he deliver roughly 1,300 documents pertaining to the Feb. 4 letter.

The letter also stated Holder needed to deliver a description of all the documents he will not produce. Issa said the log is "essential for the committee to determine whether the department has substantially met its obligations" -- a statement he repeated Tuesday after the meeting.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012...#ixzz1yLKL3h3p

[hogger129]

This is insane. Executive privilege?

Nixon almost got impeached and ended up resigning over less. He got obstruction of justice from trying to mess with an investigation (trying to get Dick Helms at the CIA to block the FBI's investigation of Howard Hunt, withholding the Watergate tapes), but Holder gets executive privilege for stonewalling an investigation???

I think this should go beyond "contempt" and instead they should begin impeachment hearings.

[Brass Tacks]

Holder is now asking Obama to excersize executive privilege over the F&F documents. And Obama will do it.

What the hell are they hiding????????????

[jack404]

What the hell are they hiding????????????

the plan to remove all your weapons by blaming the crime in mexico on the US but a few honest agents and the death of one screwed that for em , now its cover your butt time in the white house

[22WRF]

Executive privilege?

To make that claim then Obummer is admitting he had knowledge of it.

[Brass Tacks]

yep, he did it! told ya

[twobit]

Holder and Obama need to be thrown in prison!

[Zhurh]

Ya all remember Nixon? I use to read Stars & Stripes everyday, couldn't believe what I was reading; boy did it go downhill for Dicky; hope the same for Big "O".

[Brass Tacks]

Originally Posted by Zhurh

Ya all remember Nixon? I use to read Stars & Stripes everyday, couldn't believe what I was reading; boy did it go downhill for Dicky; hope the same for Big "O".

that was cover up of a third rate burglary, nobody DIED!!

[armoredman]

Yes, but it was a president the press did not like - they worship the ground Dear Leader spits on. I wonder where they go from here?

[Zhurh]

Thing is they keep on lyin, every last one of them too. That's what gets them, the public just wants the politicals to tell the truth, whatever it is; they just can't bring themselves to do it either. Come election day, enough voters just had enough of the dirt, either don't vote or vote for the liar's opponent; and that goes for dems & repubs just the same.

[KWM]

Politicians in general are like professional wrestlers. They call each other names in public, threaten to expose some wrong doing, etc.......then go out and get drunk together and laugh about what they have gotten away with. Both parties. IMO anyone who votes for an incumbent, no matter the office is a fool. But that's just me.

[cpttango30]

Time to get a short rope and find a tall tree. These lying SOBS need a good house cleaning.

[Bigr Bang Thry]

Originally Posted by twobit

Holder and Obama need to be thrown in prison!

I could think of a better place for the both of them, but the secret service might visit me if I said where.... !


I just heard on the radio news that the comission has voted to hold Eric Holder IN CONTEMPT, and barring the IMMEDIATE release of ALL the requested doccuments, the whole HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES will get to vote on the contempt of congress charge. Bad news is, if the H of R does vote to charge him, the JUSTICE DEPT ( WHICH ERIC HOLDER RUNS )will be the ones to investigate , which of course means that NOTHING WILL COME OF IT.

[FlashBang]

Another retraction: Holder withdraws claim that Bush’s attorney general knew about gunwalking

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/06/20/an...#ixzz1yNE4wJy8

Shucking and jiving all the way... can't these bozos get any story straight?