WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 08: U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing about the controversial the 'Operation Fast and Furious' gun running program on Capitol Hill, on November 8, 2011 in Washington, DC. 'Operation Fast and Furious' was set up to be a sting set up by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that allowed weapons to be purchased from Arizona gun shops by Mexican drug cartels to trace cross boarder gun trafficking. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)Oversight Committee to Consider Contempt Report for Attorney General Eric Holder
On June 20th, the Oversight Committee will meet to consider a report holding Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for his failure to produce subpoenaed documents related to Operation Fast & Furious.
Chairman Darrell Issa issued the following statement:
“Despite what the investigation has uncovered through whistleblowers and documents the Justice Department had tried to hide, the Committee’s work is not yet complete. Attorney General Holder has failed to meet his legal obligations pursuant to the October 12 subpoena. House leaders reiterated this failure in a May 18, 2012, letter. Specifically, the Justice Department has refused to turn over critical documents on the grounds that they show internal Department deliberations and were created after February 4, 2011 – the date Justice issued a false denial to Congress. Contempt will focus on the failure to provide these post February 4th documents.
Chairman Darrell Issa issued the following statement:
“Despite what the investigation has uncovered through whistleblowers and documents the Justice Department had tried to hide, the Committee’s work is not yet complete. Attorney General Holder has failed to meet his legal obligations pursuant to the October 12 subpoena. House leaders reiterated this failure in a May 18, 2012, letter. Specifically, the Justice Department has refused to turn over critical documents on the grounds that they show internal Department deliberations and were created after February 4, 2011 – the date Justice issued a false denial to Congress. Contempt will focus on the failure to provide these post February 4th documents.
“…While the Justice Department can still stop the process of contempt, this will only occur through the delivery of the post February 4, 2011, documents related to Operation Fast and Furious and whistleblower accusations subpoenaed by the Committee. If the Attorney General decides to produce these subpoenaed documents, I am confident we can reach agreement on other materials and render the process of contempt unnecessary.”
Read MoreRead the Case for Holding AG Holder in
Contempt over Fast & FuriousFact Sheet
Fast and Furious & Holder Contempt
Key Goals of Investigation
- Expose the full scope of Fast and Furious
- Deliver the Fast and Furious facts to the American people
- Eliminate the program's dangerous investigative techniques
- Discover who is responsible for starting Fast and Furious
- Discover who is responsible for implementing Fast and Furious
- Discover which high-level government officials knew about Fast and Furious
- Discover which high-level government officials approved Fast and Furious
- Expose high-level government officials who failed to stop Fast and Furious
- Hold accountable those responsible for Fast and Furious
- Protect taxpayers' rights to Congressional oversight of the Executive Branch
