A just breaking development has a high ranking member the Barack Obama Department of Justice indicating they will refuse to disclose any information before Congressman Darrell Issa’s committee next month by utlizing 5th Amendment protection.
From the initial report:
The chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona is refusing to testify before Congress regarding Operation Fast and Furious, the federal gun-running scandal that sent U.S. weapons to Mexico.
Patrick J. Cunningham informed the House Oversight Committee late Thursday through his attorney that he will use the Fifth Amendment protection.
Cunningham is represented by Tobin Romero of Williams and Connolly who is a specialist in white collar crime. In the letter, he suggests witnesses from the Department of Justice in Washington, who have spoken in support of Attorney General Eric Holder, are wrong or lying.
SEE FULL REPORT HERE
Say it isn’t so
it is hard to beleive that anyone could give lawyer a a higher level of contempt then they already have
I wonder if Holder is aware that he too has 5th Amendment protection … or if he hasn’t gotten around to reading that yet.
Holder is too busy trying to protect the Administration by covering up than to take the 5th.
Ulsterman, why are you not quoting White House Insider from back in early May? He said something like “We got ‘Em! Eric Holder is GONE or Eric Holder is FIRED because we have them.”
Please UPDATE this thread to include WHI to refresh our memories. Don’t make me go to dreaded NEWSFLAVOR. Thank you much, UM! You and WHI and WSI ROCK!
Drudge Report has this development up now too.
This is HUGE, HUGE, HUGE!!
Another, less upbeat take on this development. I’d be interested in UM bouncing these scenarios off of WHI.
http://www.sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/2012/01/finally-fifth-amendment-time-in.html
It is complex because this event comes at what may be a critical juncture in the investigation which some are interpreting as a reluctance on the part of the Issa committee to fully explore the many leads they have already developed because of their political sensitivity.
“I won’t say that the fix is in, but the Committee seems to be buying into the ‘Made-in-Phoenix’ line pushed by the White House,” said one source with inside knowledge of the investigator’s work. This seems to be reflected in the subpoena letter from Issa to Cunningham. From the Politico story linked above:
“Senior Justice Department officials have recently told the Committee that you relayed inaccurate and misleading information to the Department in preparation for its initial response to Congress,” wrote Issa. “These officials told us that even after Congress began investigating Fast and Furious, you continued to insist that no unacceptable tactics were used.”
The White House is happy for Issa to go after Cunningham for this is consistent with their denial that the White House had anything to do with gunwalking. Indeed, from the evidence above it would seem that the White House has determined Cunningham to be one of the designated sacrificial goats to that end.
will he hold to the fifth, or will he ask for immunity, that is the question. remember it only took 1 disgruntled underling to start the downfall of tricky dick in 72.
Hope he strikes and deal and spills the beans. However, he may be in fear of some contrived “accident”.
Holder LIED and good men DIED
@ Ulaterman ~~~
Drudge has a link up which directed me to an article which states Arizona is now planning on investigating the federal government to see if it broke any Arizona laws in Fast and Furious! The committee will be formed on Monday and the invetigative report should be completed by March 30th.
This is priceless!!
….only in America, eh?