ADVERTISEMENT

GOP Turns Up Heat on Holder

Politico reports that House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) is joining the Republican effort to force more answers from the Department of Justice on the controversial "Fast & Furious" program and the related death of border agent Brian Terry.

Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Whip Kevin McCarthy joined with Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa in sending a letter to the attorney general, pressuring him to release more information about the botched federal program to sell weapons to Mexico, several sources said.

It’s a significant uptick. Issa - and his allies - want to hold Holder in contempt for not cooperating with his committee’s investigation. Leadership has been more cautious. But the trio’s signature on the letter gives new meaning - and heft - to Issa’s push.

The letter, sent to Holder on Friday, significantly pares back the broad range of documents Issa is seeking. But the letter also asks the Department of Justice to unveil who planned the program, which resulted in the deaths of two federal agents on the Mexico border.

The lawmakers acknowledge that the DOJ has already provided some documents following Issa’s October 2011 subpoena, but has yet to fully comply with that subpoena.

"[T]wo key questions remain unanswered: first, who on your leadership team was informed of the reckless tactics used in the Fast & Furious prior to Agent Terry’s murder; and, second, did your leadership team mislead or misinform Congress in response to a Congressional subpoena?" the letter states.