Holder Subpoenaed in “Fast and Furious” Scandal

This week, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) subpoenaed the Justice Department in the Fast and Furious scandal.  The subpoena seeks documents and all communications between the office of Attorney General Eric Holder, his deputies, and the White House in connection with the now-infamous Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive’s failed operation.

Congressional hearings headed by Issa and Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, have been going on for months and are trying to determine Holder’s exact role in “Fast and Furious.”   

"Top Justice Department officials, including Attorney General Holder, know more about Operation Fast and Furious than they have publicly acknowledged," Issa said in a statement announcing the subpoenas.  "The documents this subpoena demands will provide answers to questions that Justice Officials have tried to avoid since this investigation began eight months ago. It's time we know the whole truth."

Predictably, Holder has steadfastly maintained that he did not know the scope or details of the operation until they became public earlier this year.

Last Friday, in a rambling, five-page letter to members of Congress, Holder responded to allegations that he misled Congress about his knowledge of the “Fast and Furious” program by angrily lashing out at critics for using what he called "irresponsible and inflammatory rhetoric." Among other things, Holder told lawmakers that public discussion about the issue had become "base" and "inflammatory" and that lawmakers should focus on "fixing loopholes in our laws that facilitate the staggering flow of guns each year across our border." 

Sen. Grassley said this week that he'll call for the resignation of the highest-level government official who signed off on “Fast and Furious.”

According to a DailyCaller.com article, Grassley said in a phone interview, "I'm not going to ask for anybody's resignation until I find out who signed off on this at the highest level of government -- and then I'm going to ask for that person's resignation."

And when asked if he thought Holder was that person, Grassley said, "We're going to answer that question before we stop this investigation.  All I can say is, if [Holder] didn't know about it, he should've known about it."

At least three members of Congress have directly called for Holder's resignation. They are Reps. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Raul Labrador (R-Idaho), and Blake Farenthold (R-Tex.).

If prosecutors determine that Holder knowingly gave false answers to a congressional committee he could be indicted on perjury charges.

NRA has called for the resignation of Attorney General Eric Holder.

Stay tuned.