Issa takes step toward holding Holder in contempt of Congress

On Tuesday Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House committee on Oversight and Government Reform, took a major step toward holding Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for his failure to provide subpoenaed documents and other information about Operation Fast and Furious.

In a Jan. 31 letter, Issa had threatened Holder with such a move if he failed to provide all the subpoenaed documents relating to the Fast and Furious gunwalking scandal by Feb. 9. That deadline has come and gone, and Holder’s Department of Justice still hasn’t provided most of those documents. Issa’s subpoena dates back to Oct. 12, 2011.

On Tuesday in a seven-page letter, Issa revealed that Deputy Attorney General James Cole begged Congress to extend the Feb. 9 deadline. Issa wrote that the request was “ironic” and “ignores the reality that the Department has unreasonably delayed producing these documents to the Committee.”

“On its face, the requested extension demonstrates a lack of good faith,” Issa wrote to Holder. “With one exception, the Department has only produced documents responsive to the subpoena on the eve of congressional hearings in which senior Department officials testified. The Department appears to be more concerned with protecting its image through spin control than actually cooperating with Congress.”

“We cannot wait any longer for the Department’s cooperation,” Issa continued. “As such, please specify a date by which you expect the Department to produce all documents responsive to the subpoena. In addition, please specify a Department representative who will interface with the Committee for production purposes.”

Issa added that whoever Holder designates as the go-to DOJ official for delivering subpoenaed documents “should also serve as the conduit for dealing with the contempt proceedings, should the Department continue to ignore the Committee’s subpoena.” (RELATED: Full coverage of Eric Holder)

The California Republican slammed Holder, too, for claiming the congressional investigation into Fast and Furious was a political game for Republicans.

Source




CA: Man wrestles away gun, kills intruder: "An Antioch man at home with his young son disarmed an 18-year-old man who kicked in his front door and shot him dead with his own gun, the second time in three months that a resident in the city has fought back with deadly results, police said Tuesday. The latest incident happened about 8:20 p.m. Monday, when a resident on the 4800 block of Wexler Peak Way heard his doorbell ring, said acting police Lt. Diane Aguinaga. The resident, who was home with his 7-year-old son, did not answer the doorbell right away and then peered out a window, only to see his front door being kicked in "pretty aggressively," Aguinaga said. "He just jumps the guy and realizes the guy has a gun," Aguinaga said. "He somehow (got) it away from him" and shot the intruder three times in the torso, then called police, she said. The intruder died at the scene, and his semiautomatic handgun was recovered. He was identified as 18-year-old Jeremiah Stovall of Antioch, who police say had a criminal history that included weapons violations."


MI: Homeowner says he shot man in self-defense: "A Barry County homeowner says he took matters into his own hands Monday morning and shot a man he claims was trying to break into his home. The incident happened around 7:00 am Monday morning on Boyson Road near 9 Mile Road in Orangeville. Investigators with the Barry County Sheriff's Department are looking at whether the shooting is actually self defense. The homeowner says he shot an intruder, but deputies are looking at who should be charged. The man who was shot was hit in the stomach. He was taken to a Kalamazoo hospital and his injuries are not considered life-threatening. “A small caliber firearm that was used and a 24-year-old was injured,” said Sheriff Leaf, “and we really can't go into too much detail because we really have a lot of work to do on this one here.”