Small Group Of House Republicans To Call For Impeachment Of Eric Holder
A small group of House Republicans intends to move for the impeachment of Attorney General Eric Holder:
Washington (CNN) – A group of 11 House Republicans will introduce a resolution Thursday calling for the impeachment of Eric Holder, saying the Attorney General has lost credibility and trust over a string of issues in recent years.
The articles of impeachment, drafted by Rep. Pete Olson of Texas, faults the Attorney General for refusing to comply with a congressional investigation of the botched gun-walking operation known as “Fast and Furious,” led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Last year, House Republicans voted to hold Holder in contempt for refusing to turn over documents tied to sting. The gun operation allowed illegal gun sales believed to be destined for Mexican drug cartels in order to track the sellers and purchasers.
But ATF lost track of an estimated 2,000 weapons, most believed to have ended up in Mexico and two of which turned up at the scene of a shooting in Arizona that killed U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.
The impeachment resolution, a memo of which was provided to CNN, also accuses Holder of lying under oath before Congress in May, when he told lawmakers he had never been involved of any “potential prosecution of the press.”
(…)
The small group of Republicans, many of whom have long been going after Holder, also blame Holder for failing to enforce multiple laws, including the Defense of Marriage Act, and for not prosecuting Internal Revenue Service officials in a case involving unauthorized access to tax records of political donors or candidates.
“This was not a decision that I made lightly,” Olson said in a statement. “The American people deserve answers and accountability. If the Attorney General refuses to provide answers, then Congress must take action.”
CNN reported last week that Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Florida, was highly involved in this new effort to try and impeach Holder.
It’s worth noting that GOP leadership has so far stood on the sidelines and not voiced support for the effort, and a Republican congressional aide said the proposal is not expected to get a committee vote.
House Speaker John Boehner never called on holder to resign, despite calls from rank and file members of the House. It’s also unlikely house GOP leaders would green light moving the legislation to the floor at a time when they are laser-focused on ripping Obamacare and just rebounded after the government shutdown.
Without support from leadership, which is unlikely to be forthcoming, there’s no way that this resolution will actually go anywhere, of course. Nonetheless, it will likely play well with the Tea Party base, among whom Fast & Furious is a big a “scandal” as the Benghazi attack. For the rest of the country, though, this will all just seem very silly.
One thing lacking from your report, Doug: the actual charges against Holder. Luckily, Ace of Spades had this yesterday. In brief:
1) Refusal to comply with legal subpoenas regarding Operation Fast and Furious.
2) Refusal to enforce the Defense of Marriage Act, the Controlled Substances Act, and the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986.
3) Refusal to prosecute any IRS officials who repeatedly and willfully violated laws regarding the confidentiality of tax records.
4) Perjury on May 15, 2013, when Holder, under oath, said “he was neither involved in nor had heard of a potential prosecution of the press,” and then three days later it was revealed that Holder had personally approved of a search warrant on James Rosen.
Ace says, and I agree, that Count 2 is a non-starter. 3 is weak. But 1 and 4 seem pretty open and shut. Holder’s contempt and perjury are indisputable.
Whether that merits impeachment is debatable, and the notion that Harry Reid’s Senate would ever convict him is laughable, but at least two of the counts are on solid ground.
Greetings:
At this point, the House Republicans are all that stand between the USofA and Chavez-land. It’s about time that they woke up to the fact that playing politics doesn’t work when the other side is playing revolution.
Tactically, the House Republicans need to stop sending letters to President Obama’s minions and start sending subpoenas and taking them to court. The paperwork point has been passed. It’s either into the courts or into the streets. And I don’t mean for a nice polite Tea Party.
@11B40: You realize, you sound like every mouth-breathing birfer out there?
Impeachment only works if everyone agrees that the guy is a sleazoid. Otherwise what’s happening is that you’re looking simply like someone who refuses to accept the policy decisions of the other side.
Just because the voters didn’t vote the way you wanted doesn’t mean you have a right to riot in the streets. Do you believe in democracy or not? To be a true believer in democracy means accepting that you lost and no, you don’t get to try to overturn the government through violence.
@Jenos Idanian #13:
Ace of Spades is one of the most extreme right-wing kooks out there.
I’m glad you admit that you read him and believe what he says.
It proves everything I’ve been saying about you.
@C. Clavin: Refresh my memory, Cliffy… are you the idiot who constantly cites Media Matters as a source, or are you the idiot who talks in such vague generalities that you don’t ever have to cite a source?
And in this case, Ace provided something Doug didn’t: the particular Articles of Impeachment. That might prove relevant to people interested in details and facts…
Which, naturally, excludes you.
@Jenos Idanian #13:
Sure, let’s debate it.
No.
@Jenos Idanian #13:
Find me a single reference I have made to Media Matters.
Your a liar.
Period.
Thanks for confirming what we all know.
@Jenos Idanian #13: Jenos, the article clearly states all four complaints. It doesn’t list them formally, but it does identify what the Republicans are objecting to.
@Pinky:
Thanks for pointing out another mischaracterization of Jenoses.
In a similar context Ezra Klein identified this as a collective action problem. For Republican politicians collectively, talking about impeachment over this trivia and claptrap just makes them look crazier. But apparently for a Tea Party Rep from East Hogwaller or south Houston, this nonsense ensures no primary from the right, and therefore election.
This is what Republicans do.
They spent 6 years investigating Bill Clinton, they had the votes in the House so they impeached him. I am somewhat surprised that Darrell Issa hasn’t drafted articles of Impeachment concerning Obama, perhaps he’s waiting to see if Republicans take control of the Senate in the 2014 elections.
There are no grounds for impeachment. Eric Holder hasn’t done a freaking thing for the last 5 years.
@edmondo:
That’s true…if anything he should be impeached for not bring Bush and Cheney up on War Crimes. If those two aren’t going to be charged with violating the Geneva Conventions and Torture…after all they admitted it…then no body should be charged for anything ever.
@al-Ameda: They actually meant to impeach Obama… it’s just that all those black guys look alike to them.
Hmmmm…. I wonder what the reaction would be if the title read “Eric Holder calls for indictment of small group of House Republicans.”
@OzarkHillbilly: “Hmmmm…. I wonder what the reaction would be if the title read “Eric Holder calls for indictment of small group of House Republicans”
My reaction would be “Thank you, Mr. Holder — wouldn’t you like to supersize that for a dollar more?”
There are a few vocal voices on the left constantly calling for Holder to resign, however impeachment may be a bit too far. As it is though Holder should have been let go of for his handling of any of the numerous law the large banks have broken. All of these end with no one arrested and minor penalties enforced upon a section of society that has repeatedly ruined our economy to line their own pockets. Frankly speaking Holder is a terrible AG, and his collusion with the financial sector is disgusting. All that said I see no real grounds for impeachment and as expressed above no way the senate approves it, so all of this turns out to be a huge click bait nothing burger.
@Dave D: Holder should resign, for similar reasons why Sebellius should resign. They can’t because Republicans in the Senate will hold up Cabinet nominations for more concessions.
Also, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Fast & Furious a larger scandal in terms of body count?
Hmm…sounds like the right psychiatrist is all that stands between you being allowed on the streets or being tossed into the nearest mental hospital…
I think Hilder is an awful AG and is rather incompetent and prone to making things easier for democrats and their causes (I am still peeved over the decision to let Corzine walk.
I don’t think he has done anything impeachable but I think he is incompetent and should resign.
@11B40:
At this point House Republicans are all that stand between Somalia and North Korea.