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2012-04-28 15:26:58 GOP Threatens 'Contempt' Charge in Fast and Furious Scandal

Transcript by Newsy: http://www.youtube.com/user/NewsyPolitics?feature=guide BY ZACH TOOMBS House Republicans are threatening legal and legislative retribution against Attorney General Eric Holder — demanding he turn over more documents relating to the Fast and Furious operation, or face contempt charges. CNN has details. "They claim he and the Justice Department have obstructed their investigation into the Fast and Furious gun tracking operation. That ATF plan allowed illegal gun purchases in order to track weapons to Mexican drug cartel leaders." Instead, those weapons ended up at several crime scenes — including a site where U.S. law enforcement officials were shot and killed. Holder refutes claims made by Republicans that the Justice Department has not cooperated in handing over documents after the House Oversight committee issued a subpoena. South Carolina Republican Trey Gowdy delivered a warning Thursday on Fox News. "Before Memorial Day, Eric Holder will either comply or he will suffer consequences and when I say consequences I mean contempt of Congress ... There will be many amendments gutting the appropriations for his department." The Los Angeles Times reports Republican Rep. Darrell Issa — the Oversight Committee chairman — has drafted a 48-page Contempt of Congress citation for Attorney General Holder. The Times reports: "If adopted by the GOP-led House, the contempt resolution would be sent to the U.S. attorney's office in Washington or perhaps an independent counsel in an attempt to force the Justice Department to provide tens of thousands of internal documents to the committee." The Justice Department has turned over about one-tenth of the 80,000 documents requested by House Republicans. According to CBS, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are labeling the contempt of Congress charge a political stunt meant to embarrass the Obama administration. Rep. Elijah Cummings says: "Leaking a draft contempt citation that members of our committee have never seen suggests that you are more interested in perpetuating your partisan political feud in the press than in obtaining any specific substantive information relating to the committee's investigation." The Los Angeles Times also cites an anonymous source who says House Speaker John Boehner has greenlighted the Contempt of Congress charge. But The Daily Caller isn't so sure, reporting House leadership might not see eye-to-eye with Issa. "After the initial reports, a House Republican leadership aide told The Daily Caller that the LA Times and CBS reports were inaccurate. The GOP leadership aide said that 'while there are very legitimate arguments ... no decision has been made to move forward with one by the Speaker or by House Republican leaders.'"

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