Doug Powers
MichelleMalkin.com
6/30/2012
From the “as surprising as the sun coming up in the east this morning” file, we have this:
After Congress found the nation’s top law enforcement officer in contempt Thursday, the Department of Justice quickly wrote a letter to House Speaker John Boehner informing him that it will not prosecute U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for withholding documents in a congressional investigation of the Fast and Furious gun walking operation.
“The longstanding position of the Department of Justice has been and remains that we will not prosecute an Executive Branch official under the contempt of Congress statute for withholding subpoenaed documents pursuant to a presidential assertion of executive privilege,” James M. Cole, the deputy attorney general, wrote in a letter dated June 28 and addressed to the Speaker.
Does anybody think that the DoJ would have prosecuted even without the executive privilege assertion? …
…Bush officials — Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former WH counsel Harriet Miers — were accused of contempt for refusing to turn over material related to the firings of US Attorneys. The Fast & Furious investigation revolves around a border agent, Brian Terry, (and many others across the border) who lost their lives as the result of a botched government operation.
Issa is now gearing up for a civil case against Holder.
The complete article is at MichelleMalkin.com
Related: ‘ATF Needs To F–k These Guys’ Issa, Grassley release details about Fast and Furious whistleblower retaliation, cover-up
Arizona Republican Rep. Paul Gosar – one of the leaders of the congressional inquiry into Operation Fast and Furious– told The Daily Caller he hopes Attorney General Eric Holder gets the message Congress sent him by holding him in criminal and civil contempt of Congress: give up the documents…
Carney: Bipartisan Holder contempt push a ‘turn-off’ for voters
…According to a pool report on Friday, Carney said the vote — one which was more bipartisan than the 2010 vote that passed Obamacare— is a “turn-off” for voters. And, according to the press pool report, Carney “repeated the administration’s view that the vote was pure political theater.”…
Grassley: Politics in US attorney’s decision not to prosecute Holder?
Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is pressing Ron Machen, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, to explain whether political interference has blocked him from prosecuting Attorney General Eric Holder, whom the House of Representatives held in criminal contempt yesterday.
After the contempt vote, Deputy Attorney General James Cole wrote to House Speaker John Boehner saying the administration has decided it won’t ask Machen to enforce the resolution…
GOP Rep. Rigell calls for Holder’s resignation, explains vote against criminal contempt
…“In my view, the Attorney General has not served the President or the American people well,” Rigell said. “I believe he should resign. I am intent on pursuing the facts and gaining a full understanding of the Administration’s handling of the events leading to the Fast and Furious program, and as importantly, the conduct of the Administration in the months that followed.”
