Post by jeffolie on Jun 20, 2012 15:05:18 GMT -6
Att Gen contempt of Congress, gun-trafficking probe doc's
While the merits of the issue appears to be wrong doing or not appropriate acts because the plan failed badly resulting in US furnished arms used against Americans in America. Certainly, this political embrassment assists super PACs slam Obama ... but will Independent voters care at all?
==================================
June 20, 2012
Panel holds Holder in contempt of Congress
White House asserts executive privilege over documents
"... Ramping up an election-year confrontation with the Obama administration, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday voted to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for failing to turn over documents related to the flawed “Fast and Furious” gun-trafficking probe.
Reuters
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington June 12, 2012.
All of the panel’s 23 Republicans voted for the contempt resolution, and each of its 17 Democrats voted against it. The measure now goes before the full House for consideration.
Moments before the hearing began, the White House asserted executive privilege to withhold the documents sought by the committee.
Republicans plowed ahead with the vote and said it was “sad” that President Barack Obama had acted just before the panel met.
“The notion that you can withhold documents from Congress...is wrong,” said Rep. Trey Gowdy, a South Carolina Republican.
Rep. Darrell Issa, the California Republican who chairs the panel, said the contempt vote was related to a “narrow subset of the documents” related to the failed operation.
Holder wouldn’t be held in contempt of Congress unless the full House votes for the measure.
“Fast and Furious” was a 2009-2010 operation run by Arizona-based Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents aimed at tracking firearms purchases by Mexican drug cartels. The agency lost track of some of the weapons, and firearms involved in the operation have been found at the scene of violent crimes in both the U.S. and Mexico — including at a December 2010 shootout that killed U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry
The Justice Department says it can’t disclose documents sought by Issa and others because it would interfere with its ongoing investigations.
Democrats said that there was no reason to hold a contempt vote when Holder and the Justice Department have said they are willing to continue discussions with the committee.
“I think this is a mistake, a major mistake,” said Rep. Edolphus Towns, a New York Democrat.
The committee defeated an amendment offered by Rep. Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat, aimed at delaying the contempt vote.
Contempt of Congress votes are relatively rare. The last time the House voted to hold an executive branch official in contempt was in 2008, when it passed a resolution against then-White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers for failing to turn over documents related to a controversy over firings of U.S. attorneys. Read more on Political Watch.
Holder and Issa met on Tuesday night but failed to reach an agreement about what documents the Justice Department would turn over to the committee.
Holder later accused Issa of practicing “political gamesmanship.”
On Wednesday morning, Issa said that Obama’s decision to grant executive privilege “falls short of any reason to delay today’s proceedings.
www.marketwatch.com/story/panel-holds-holder-in-contempt-of-congress-2012-06-20?dist=afterbell