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Obama Invokes Executive Privilege on Fast and Furious Documents

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spidey07 said:
House committee is bringing formal contempt charge against Holder, then house has to vote on it. But from reading other articles it doesn't do much, just tries to force more negotiation on releasing the information that was subpoena'd.

Why won't they release the info and why would obama try to invoke executive privilege?
Only two logical answers - the white house knew it was going on, or they were involved in the cover up. Impeachment time!!!!!
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The White House was also covering up it's relationship with energy companies when the prior admin invoked EP. Shall we bring up contempt charges now? Good luck with that.

What seems to be missed here is that this is a dead end now. The only way to proceed is to have an investigation which can demonstrate to the satisfaction of a court that there is sufficient evidence of wrongdoing to override EP. That is a tall order, but if it happens that means that the case has legs. As it is now one cannot convict because of "why", since the last administration would be doing life to infinity right now.
 
Terry (Agent who was killed by fast and furious gun) family statement. This is getting ready to explode.

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiep...ast_and_furious_tragedy_protecting_themselves

"Attorney General Eric Holder's refusal to fully disclose the documents associated with Operation Fast and Furious and President Obama's assertion of executive privilege serves to compound this tragedy. It denies the Terry family and the American people the truth. Our son, Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, was killed by memebers of a Mexican drug cartel armed with weapons from this failed Justice Department guntrafficking investigation. For more than 18 months, we have been asking our federal government for justice and accountability. The documents sought by the House Oversight Committee and associated with Operation Fast and Furious should be produced and turned over to the Committee. Our son lost his life protecting this nation, and it is very disappointing that we are now faced with an administration that seems more concerned with protecting themselves rather than revealing the truth behind Operation Fast and Furious."
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Rep Gowdy, telling it like it is.

http://gowdy.house.gov/multimedia/?VideoID=WtXo-mSKpIA

Rep. Gowdy's Statement on President Obama's invoking Executive Privilege regarding Fast and Furious
June 20, 2012
Rep. Gowdy's Statement on President Obama's invoking Executive Privilege regarding Fast and Furious By Rep. Trey Gowdy
Washington -

Today, Rep. Trey Gowdy (SC-4), released the following statement inregards to President Obama’s Executive Privilege on the documents related to Fast and Furious, and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s investigation.

“The assertion of executive privilege is legally compromised and calculated solely to delay Congress from exercising its constitutional responsibility to provide oversight.”

“The President claims he knew nothing about Fast and Furious prior to Agent Brian Terry's murder and no one at the Department of Justice has suggested the President was part of the drafting of a demonstrably false letter dated February 4, 2011, to a committee of congress.”

“So, my question to the President is: What are you asserting privilege over? Did you know about Fast and Furious before Brian Terry's murder? Did you approve the operation? Did you participate in the drafting of a false letter to congress? Unless the answer to all of those questions is yes, there is no matter overwhich the President can assert privilege. It is merely the latest ploy to delay the investigation.”

Rep. Trey Gowdy (SC-4) is a former federal and state prosecutor who prosecuted scores of firearms cases while working for the United States Attorney's Office.
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Hayabusa Rider said:
Going after Holder will be seen as vindictive. Win the battle and lose the war. Brilliant.
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Why?

Because the public wants the US supplying arms to Mexican cartels resulting in the deaths of our border patrol? Because the public wants the Administration to conceal related documents?

Issa is going after the documents, Holder places himself in the way. Now the President has done the same.
 
blankslate said:
They're obviously doing it to protect the Bush Administration who started the program under the name "Wide Receiver" :colbert:

Stupid idea the fact that it was tried by the previous administration should've been enough of a clue not to do it again....
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Dude, you're still on last week's lie. Holder and Obama have retracted that lie.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/holde...m-knew-about-fast-and-furious/article/2500157
The Justice Department has retracted a second statement made to the Senate Judiciary Committee. During a hearing last week, Attorney General Eric Holder claimed that his predecessor, then-Attorney General Michael Mukasey, had been briefed about gunwalking in Operation Wide Receiver. Now, the Department is retracting that statement and claiming Holder "inadvertently" made that claim to the Committee. The Department's letter failed to apologize to former Attorney General Mukasey for the false accusation. This is the second major retraction the Justice Department has made in the last seven months. In December 2011, the Department retracted its claim that the ATF had not allowed illegally purchased guns to be trafficked to Mexico.
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This week's lie is that allowing Congress to see the documents they are supposed to oversee would "significantly impair the ability of the executive branch to respond independently and effectively to congressional oversight."

http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/20/politics/holder-contempt/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

In a letter to Obama seeking the assertion of executive privilege, Holder said the documents involved related to the Justice Department's "response to congressional oversight and related media inquiries," and that release of internal executive branch documents would have "significant, damaging consequences."
Holder also said releasing the documents would "inhibit the candor of executive branch deliberations in the future and significantly impair the ability of the executive branch to respond independently and effectively to congressional oversight."
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That's right, allowing Congress to actually see what they are supposed to be overseeing would "significantly impair the ability of the executive branch to respond independently and effectively to congressional oversight." As long as Congress is not allowed to actually see what they are supposed to be overseeing, that won't be a problem; the White House can tell them anything they desire, effectively and independent of any truth.

If you must carry their tainted water, then you have to keep up on which lie is extant at a given time. Repeating lies which have expired and are no longer operational makes the Messiah cry.

It's really just honoring a campaign promise. Obama promised the most transparent administration ever. Can anyone imagine his administration being easier to see through?
 
Holder also said releasing the documents would "inhibit the candor of executive branch deliberations in the future and significantly impair the ability of the executive branch to respond independently and effectively to congressional oversight."
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I have to say that I find that statement utterly baffling.
 
Jaskalas said:
Why?

Because the public wants the US supplying arms to Mexican cartels resulting in the deaths of our border patrol? Because the public wants the Administration to conceal related documents?

Issa is going after the documents, Holder places himself in the way. Now the President has done the same.
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The President has the authority to block the release of these documents and has done so. Holder is no longer an issue in this power struggle. My prediction is that this will become about Issa going after Holder instead of F&F. That will be the political out for the Dems. They now have a new martyr and will use it. Going after Holder does not advance the investigation, quite the reverse.
 
CharlesKozierok said:
I have to say that I find that statement utterly baffling.
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It's bullshit, plain and simple. Do me a favor and remember this little incident when government initiatives come up in discussion. This "cooperation" can be expected later in unrelated situations.

Back to the topic, it's an incredible cockup by both sides.
 
Hayabusa Rider said:
The President has the authority to block the release of these documents and has done so. Holder is no longer an issue in this power struggle. My prediction is that this will become about Issa going after Holder instead of F&F. That will be the political out for the Dems. They now have a new martyr and will use it. Going after Holder does not advance the investigation, quite the reverse.
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I agree that, now with the President involved, Holder is off the hook.

You think they're going to continue going after him. You're right, that would be a mistake.
 
If, maybe that should be when, the full House votes to charge Mr. Holder with Contempt of Congress the case will go to the US Attorney for the District of Columbia for action.

That will be the end of it.

The following is germane.....

"Ronald C. Machen Jr. was nominated to serve as United States Attorney for the District of Columbia by President Barack Obama.."
 
CharlesKozierok said:
I have to say that I find that statement utterly baffling.
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Perhaps because I was being too brief. The documents in question concern the FBI's, BATFE's, Justice's, and the White House's internal activities during the cover up - after the program was exposed but before they admitted that it wasn't a botched operation that simply failed to prevent some guns from getting through. The legal argument is that if such internal communication is part of Congress' oversight, then future such conversations would be inhibited. That presumes of course that people are suggesting courses of action which are in the country's best interests, but which they would be embarrassed to have to openly admit. But at least the statement is not quite as utterly baffling if you understand the time line of the documents sought. (Not nearly as utterly baffling as Holder's statement that if Congress could see the documents they would prove that he had done nothing wrong, or Holder's statement that he "inadvertently" told Congress under oath that Mukasey had been briefed on the program - equating Wide Receiver with Fast and Furious.)

The countervailing argument (which I find MUCH more persuasive) is that the administration was not simply seeking advice in setting policy, it was actively covering up a crime. Or more properly, a string of crimes. I find a huge gap between, say, Hilary Clinton wanting to keep secret her advisers and advice while crafting Hilarycare, and President Obama wanting to keep secret his attempts to thwart Congressional oversight. These are not internal documents regarding policy, these are documents between several agencies over which Congress does have Constitutionally mandated oversight responsibilities which directly concern the cover up and how and whether those brave employees who did come forward have been punished. If Executive Privilege is allowed to stand for documents of this kind, then a cover up will always be undertaken for every scandal as there will be no risk, no down side. Hide the truth, lie under oath, obstruct justice - if you succeed, great, if not, nothing lost. Executive Privilege can thus provide a strong incentive to lie.
 
p.s., this is all just a diversion by the Obama White House from the real issues of this silly season.....the economy.
 
xj0hnx said:
It's a sad state of affairs when doing the right thing is seen as "vindictive".
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We're talking about the Greatest Show on Earth, DC. Getting the best of the opponent is so ingrained that losing sight of the main objective becomes commonplace. If the main issue is to pursue F&F then that must take priority. I'm not sure how the pols constantly trip over themselves as they do but they never learn. The game seems to be the thing.
 
I am glad about the massive increase in transparency that's occured in our Government under the Obama administration. Oh, wait...
 
This is so fvcking shameful. Obama is an absolute disgrace to the presidency. Not because of this alone, it's just another example of what a huge disappointment he has been. Anybody still defending him needs to respect themselves more and hold his office to a standard above where he's held it.
 
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