Obama Attorney General Holder held in Contempt of Congress, 17 Democrats join Republicans, civil suit also voted, Obama plead Executive Privilege

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Above American border guard Brian Terry was murdered with a weapon from Obama's gun program Fast and Furious which sold weapons to drug dealers. Obama refused to turn over documents related to the 'gun walking' program's investigation. The Hill article fails to mention Brian Terry's murder.

6/28/12, "In 255-67 vote, House places Holder in contempt of Congress," The Hill, by Jordy Yager and Pete Kasperowicz

"The House voted Thursday to place Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for not complying with a congressional subpoena.

Seventeen Democrats bucked party lines and voted with Republicans to pass a criminal contempt resolution in a 255-67 vote. House Oversight and Government Affairs Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) pushed that resolution as part of his 16-month investigation into the botched "Fast and Furious" gun-tracking operation....

At the center of the feud between the DOJ and Issa is a letter the department sent last year to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) stating that it does everything in its power to stop guns from going to Mexico. Ten months later, the DOJ took the rare step of withdrawing the letter because it contained false information.

Nearly two months before the DOJ rescinded the letter, Issa subpoenaed Holder for documents related to the fallout that the letter's misinformation had caused.

But after turning over about 7,600 pages of documents to Issa on Fast and Furious, the Attorney General has refused to comply with the remainder of the subpoena, stating that much of the requested information would jeopardize ongoing prosecutions and criminal cases if made public.

After attempts at negotiating a compromise failed last week, the president — at Holder's urging— asserted executive privilege over the documents in question.

The DOJ's inspector general has been investigating the failed operation for more than a year as well. And Issa says he should have access to the roughly 80,000 documents that the IG has received from the DOJ....

Democrats voting for the resolution were Reps. Jason Altmire (Pa.), John Barrow (Ga.), Dan Boren (Okla.), Leonard Boswell (Iowa), Ben Chandler (Ky.), Mark Critz (Pa.), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Kathy Hochul (N.Y.), Ron Kind (Wis.), Larry Kissell (N.C.), Jim Matheson (Utah), Mike McIntyre (N.C.), Bill Owens (N.Y.), Collin Peterson (Minn.), Nick Rahall (W.Va.), Mike Ross (Ark.) and Tim Walz (Minn.).

The Department of Justice is not expected to enforce the criminal contempt measure against Holder. But less than an hour later, the House also passed a separate resolution allowing Issa's committee to pursue civil court action against Holder.

That second resolution could lead to a lengthy court battle if Issa pursues civil action against Holder.

The House approved the civil resolution in a 258-95 vote that saw 21 Democrats vote with Republicans, and just 70 Democrats skip the vote....

As chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Issa has led Congress's investigation of Fast and Furious, which oversaw the sale of nearly 2,000 firearms to straw buyers for Mexican drug cartels.

Issa was initially concerned with uncovering who was responsible for allowing guns to "walk" during the operation. But he recently switched the primary concentration of his probe to focus on the DOJ's internal communications after the details of the operation were made public." via Free Republic

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6/28/12, "Slain border agent's family reacts to vote holding AG in contempt," CBS5 Phoenix, kpho, Bierman

"The U.S. House voted Thursday to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress.

Republicans pushed through the resolution because Holder did not turn over documents related to a gun-tracking operation known as Fast and Furious.

Brian Terry was killed in a 2010 shootout near Nogales. The shooter admitted to participating in a gun smuggling ring that was being monitored as part of the government's botched investigation.

On Thursday, his family released the following statement on the House's vote.

"The Terry family takes no pleasure in the contempt vote against Attorney General Eric Holder. Such a vote should not have been necessary. The Justice department should have released the documents related to Fast and Furious months ago.

"Eric Holder's refusal to do so and President Obama's assertion of executive privilege have stood in the way of justice and the answers we seek into the death of fallen Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

"Given the Obama Administration's steadfast refusal to level with the American people, Congress was left with no choice but to vote Mr. Holder in contempt."

It was the first time a sitting Cabinet member has been held in contempt." photo of Brian Terry from CBS5

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6/20/12, "Obama asserts executive privilege and backs Holder over Fast and Furious," UK Guardian, MacAskill

""Until now, everyone believed that the decisions regarding Fast and Furious were confined to the department of justice. The White House decision to invoke executive privilege implies that White House officials were either involved in the Fast and Furious operation, or the cover-up that followed," Brendan said.

"The administration has always insisted that wasn't the case. Were they lying, or are they now bending the law to hide the truth?""

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