GOP-led House Oversight Committee to file contempt suit against AG Eric Holder

Attorney General Eric Holder / AP Photo

(CBS News) CBS News has learned that the House Oversight Committee expects to file a civil contempt suit against Attorney General Eric Holder Monday. The lawsuit is to try to force Holder to release documents from the Fast and Furious gunwalking operation.

The Republican-led House of Representative voted to hold Holder in contempt on June 28 for failing to turn over thousands of pages of subpoenaed documents. The Justice Department has said it is withholding documents under White House executive privilege.

Seventeen Democrats voted with 238 Republicans in the 255-67 vote for contempt. Democratic leaders called the contempt vote a "political witch hunt."

In a past subpoena dispute between Congress and the executive branch, a federal judge ordered the executive branch to turn over the disputed documents. However, before the executive branch could pursue an appeal, the two sides reached a compromise and certain documents were turned over.

Complete coverage of the "Fast and Furious" scandal from CBS News
8 singled out in GOP "Fast and Furious" report
A primer on the "Fast and Furious" scandal
$1M reward offered in murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry

The contempt vote had two possible tracks for enforcement: criminal and civil. But shortly after the House vote, the Department of Justice announced it would not pursue a criminal case against its own Attorney General and did not believe any crime had been committed. The civil lawsuit expected to be filed Monday would ask a federal judge to order the Justice Department to turn over the documents.

During Operation Fast and Furious, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms allowed thousands of weapons to fall into the hands of traffickers for Mexican drug cartels. Documents sought by Congress include internal emails and memoranda regarding a now-discredited letter to Congress from the Justice Department that denied any "gunwalking" had occurred. Nearly a year later, the Justice Department told Congress the letter was incorrect and that gunwalking had, indeed, gone on but that Holder knew nothing of it at the time.

[Little_Old_Lady]

Putting Fast and Furious aside, I'd like to see Holder go down for the garbage he's been pulling to keep Americans from having to show an ID at the voting stations. He has no valid excuse for this other than to support voter fraud.

I'd also like to see him go down for his support for illegal Mexicans in Arizona and other states who want to rid their state of the criminal vermin.

He should go down for interferring with the very effective tactic of stop and frisk in New York.

Last but not least, He should pay for filing a BS lawsuit against a great American, Sheriff Joe in Texas. Who is only trying to rid his state of the illegal Mexican plague that they face.

Basically this AG is a complete Loser, as he always chooses the wrong side on just about every issue!!!

[ammo17]

i still want to know why eric holder,is not being prosecuted for the murder of two AMERICAN BORDER PATROLMEN,mass murder for the murder of innocent mexican citizens AND FOR TREASON FOR AIDING THE MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS WHO WE ARE WAR WITH,WITH THESE 2000 ASSAULT RIFLES.no democrat wants to see the damage this guy and the a.t.f. have done to us and the country of mexico.how do we know that some of these weapons are not in the streets of our cities,because eric holder has no idea where they are.

[fitstshu]

It's about JOBS- JOBS- JOBS. It's the economy stupid.Have you heard that before?

[skeezix06]

Exactly. Why waste time on something substantial like jobs and the economy when they can play "spin the politics"?

[model67a]

There is no way they would have started something that had the potential to really screw up Mexico and the U.S. relations without Obama knowing it. Besides his ego would not let anything go without him being in on it. Hilary, Obama , Holder and Napolitano should be investigated to the extreme. When some of the lower people start feeling the heat the truth of "Fast and Furious" will come out.

[Little_Old_Lady]

Zionist

This isn't about Bush, it's all about Holder.

Stay on topic.

[model67a]

Zion, aparently I read it more than you. "Fast and Furious" started in Oct.2009 under the Obama administration. It was different program than "Wide Receiver" which was started and discontinued in the Bush administration. The left has tried to spin "Fast and Furious" as a Bush program but it was not. Go read some more and get your facts straight.

[KPeters_from_UK]

From the article: GOP Oversight Chair Admits There Is No Evidence Of White House Involvement In Fast And Furious: "Today, pressed by Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace, House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) admitted that there is absolutely no evidence to back up Boehner's allegation" that there is a White House cover up.


And just like the empty hollow Solyndra investigation, one House Republican, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio acknowledged yesterday that multiple GOP probes on the subject are in some ways a play for votes on Election Day. "Ultimately, we'll stop it on Election Day, hopefully."

[josephp5]

What a bunch of nonsense. Obama and Holder had nothing to do with Fast and Furious. If Daryl Issa was serious about investigating the scandal (instead of using it as an excuse for a witch hunt) he would be calling Bush officials since the program started under Bush.

These Republicans will do anything other than focus on creating jobs.

[model67a]

How many times do you have to be told that "Fast and Furious" started in Oct.2009 in the Obama administration before it registers with you and a bunch of other liberals??

[cubscout09]

Bill Newell has been walking guns for ATF since 2006.

[retmw1]

Bet if it was some important legislation that would help the taxpayer, they wouldn't interupt they're vacation.

[taxchurches]

My apologies for the single typo in a 300 word post.

[taxchurches]

LOL. You're like a bunch of retarded parrots, mindlessly shrieking the same nonsense for the last four years. "Birth certificate!" "Muslim!" "Community organizer!" "Corruption!" "Socialist!" "Liberal agenda!" "Barry Soetoro!" "Squawk, moron want a cracker!"

"The lawless Obama administration sold firearms to Mexican drug cartels purposely to allow cartel death squads to murder hundreds of Mexican civilians and probably two American Border Patrol agents."

"Purposely to allow." Yeah, I'm sure that was the motive. Just as the purpose of Ruby Ridge was to shoot a dog, and the purpose of the Waco debacle was to have a weenie roast. It's long been known that the ATF could screw up a beach party, no news there.

The economy is melting before our eyes, crops are turning to dust in the fields (yeah, climate change is a myth), we're losing two wars, the Bill of Rights is in tatters, Fox News (the American Ministry of Propaganda) manufactures and perpetuates lies on a daily basis, "Dancing with the Stars" is entertainment, Israel is about to provoke WW3, people are blown away at public meetings or movie theaters every couple of months with legally purchased firearms, and all you right-wing cheerleaders can think to do is make absurd ad hominem attacks on the president. Not good enough.

So don't ennoble yourselves; your finger-pointing, flag-waving and childish posturing is obstructionist fanaticism, not patriotism. This kind of fringe idiocy is the very reason this country is going down the toilet; it has next to nothing to do with Obama. Sorry, but neither the 1st Amendment nor your bible gives you the moral right to an opinion on every subject, irrepsective of your massive ignorance. If you really care about your country, rather than just your access to oil and cultivating your McBellies, educate yourselves, know the facts and examine your own motives before you begin your partisan raving.

[cattiej]

GREAT comment!. Our country is going to h*** and we can all thank George Bush, Karl Rove, Grover Norquist, and last by not LEAST Romoney....he was responsible along with hundreds of other CEO's for outsourcing thousands of jobs. Now we have empty factories that will remain empty for years to come..The GOP are being led by Karl Roverer,one of America's home grown terriorits. This GOP lead witch hunt may come back to bite the GOP in the rear..It's is just another and they will be more "witch hunts" before the November elections.

[shurch4truth]

Is it any wonder why the republicans are so unpopular or why Mr. Romney is behind in the polls?

They are forever mean spirited.

Unless you're rich you will probably never get a warm and fuzzy feeling from the republicans.

If you are not rich, and they acquire more power - and worse yet - they acquire the White House, expect for the to figure out how to take more of your $$ and give it to the rich.