Issa vs. Holder on Fast and Furious, Round Three

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) gave Attorney General Eric Holder a choice during the House Judiciary hearing on Fast and Furious on December 8: go before Issa's House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voluntarily or expect a subpoena within a month.  The AG apparently opted for the less splashy option.

"Hostile witness" Holder will face Issa's House Oversight Committee on February 2.  This time around Issa will be in charge of the proceedings. And he won't be limited to a few measly minutes of questioning while fending off rude interruptions by Holder-protectoress Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX).

Darrell Issa today announced that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has been scheduled to testify on February 2 about the Department of Justice's knowledge of, and response to, gunwalking that occurred in Operation Fast and Furious. 

The Attorney General will be asked to address management deficiencies within the Department that occurred both during and after the conclusion of Operation Fast and Furious. This will include the Department's steadfast refusal to disclose information following the February 4, 2011 letter to Senator Grassley, which the Department has withdrawn because it contained false information denying allegations made by whistleblowers about Operation Fast and Furious.

"The Department of Justice's conduct in the investigation of Operation Fast and Furious has been nothing short of shameful," said Chairman Issa.  "From its initial denials that nothing improper occurred, to efforts to silence whistleblowers who wanted to tell Congress what really happened, to its continuing refusal to discuss or share documents related to this cover-up, the Justice Department has fought tooth and nail to hide the full truth about what occurred and what senior officials knew. 

You want a prediction about AG Eric Holder's testimony before Congressman Darrell Issa's Committee on Groundhog Day? It's going to be more of the same unless Issa darkens Rm 2154 in the Rayburn Building, shines a bright light smack dab into Holder's lyin' eyes  and makes him squirm.

On December 8 at the House Judiciary Committee hearing Issa tried to mix it up a little by hanging a blown-up photo of an angry finger-pointing Holder behind committee members. The undaunted Holder just slunk back in his chair. Maybe this time some life-size pictures of ICE Agent Jaimie Zapata, Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and hundreds of dead Mexican civilians staring back at him will get his attention. In any case, Issa better get creative. According to several outlets Holder has already begun to purge the ranks.

Laurie Robinson, assistant to Attorney General, abruptly resigned January 2.

Robinson allocated nearly $3 billion in stimulus grants under the guise of assisting women, American Indians, and Alaska natives.  She was also a primary contact within the Department of Justice in working with law enforcement agencies throughout the country regarding those same funds.

And David Codrea of the Examiner reports the following employees have been "relieved of duties" prior to the release of the Office of Inspector General's investigative summary.

William Hoover, ATF's Deputy Director during Fast and Furious who was recently reassigned as Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office, Assistant Director in Charge of Field Operations Mark Chait, likewise reassigned as head of the Baltimore Field Office, and Deputy Assistant Director of Field Operations William McMahon have reportedly been sidelined pending the outcome of the anticipated report from the Office of Inspector General.

This is not Holder's first time testifying before Congress but it is his first time in front of Issa's Oversight Committee. Will anything Issa does matter? Will he be able to stop Holder from repeating the same-old tiresome lies on February 2? Will Issa nip it in the bud once and for all?

Read more M. Catharine Evans at Potter Williams Report