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Rep. Issa, Eric Holder face-off on Fast & Furious

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    Attorney general on hot seat at congressional hearing

  • Duration 7:08
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That's our top story this hour that's a feisty exchange today on Capitol Hill between attorney general Eric Holder.

And leading investigator Republican congressman -- I -- Republicans trying to prove what they charge is a cover up.

By the Justice Department in that botched gun running sting known as fast and furious here -- testimony from Eric Holder today.

Have you and your attorneys produced internally.

The materials responsive.

To the subpoenas.

We believe that we have.

Funded because -- now mr.

attorney general you're not a good witness a good witness answers a question asked so let's go back again.

Have you and your attorneys produced internally.

The materials response and another was to be taken the time to look up are subpoena and find out what material you have responsive to it or you simply.

Invented a privilege that doesn't exist.

You saying internally that we internally have you ruled all that information.

We've looked at 240 custodians -- process millions of electronic records and we -- -- 140000.

Documents and produce to you about 76 -- so a 140000 documents how many documents are responsive but you are withholding at this time.

Well we produced 7600.

V look I don't wanna hear about the 76 under.

Very heated exchange on Capitol Hill today.

Joined now by.

-- gentlemen it fat fast and furious is.

Obviously the hot topic.

On Capitol Hill right now -- I want to start with do you Julian because clearly the question that Darrell ice it was proposing there.

Is did your office go through our requests in our subpoena and sort of line byline.

Address exactly what we're asking for and do you have those documents and -- decided not to turn them overt.

Or do not have those documents what's going on with our specific request was his question cracked.

And I think the attorney general once he was finished being badgered and rudely treated answer the question which is.

That remember the this Justice Department has provided.

Nearly 8000 pages of documents that provided almost a dozen witnesses they've appeared.

Attorney general's appeared at -- hearings.

They have been.

There there is questions about information that hasn't been provided that question those questions mostly relate the law enforcement material things like real to.

Request interviews.

That the FBI does things like grand jury material.

The most important part of the story though I think is that all of the word on Capitol Hill is is that ice that has lost this battle.

That the Republican leadership has pulled their support for any type of contempt citation.

It is widely thought and -- I think even by some Republicans on the committee that ice it doesn't have the goods this has been fishing expedition from.

The get go in the latest on today -- The with the wiretap information -- kind of backfired.

You know -- that that may be the case because what we're hearing.

Is that EE EO John Boehner did not sort of -- addressed the issue.

Of when and if there will be contempt charges filed and NIC shaking your head debut that that's the big issue here it does feel like how -- leadership does not want to go there.

That's -- look the New York Times ran a report in yesterday's paper.

Saying that did this speaker had been -- -- dialogue we have.

The Department of Justice to resolve this matter.

That was now denied by the speaker to take that report from the New York Times forget it that's not what it is the question that exists and it's the question that's existed from the outset on this investigation is.

Why is they're not a -- -- it.

Logical.

Explanation.

For the malfeasance.

Of the Department of Justice in this case because now we've got -- forget the wiretap -- which is an issue shows clear knowledge what was going on here.

But the lack of response is what's Ike Ike -- complete its review -- the lack of response.

From the Department of Justice particularly the attorney general.

Himself directly to the questions asked.

He could have easily set for instance.

We never viewed those documents we've decided that their privilege or not gonna release them whatever legal justification it -- but he doesn't he acts as if he's not prepared or doesn't care.

I mean the bottom line -- produce -- Do you feels like they're lost in the shuffle -- all these thousands of documents that we keep hearing about.

The bottom line is what did the department justice now at the highest level Eric Holder about the fast and furious.

Issue and when Brian Terry was found.

Dead and one of these -- at least was at the scene in this operation.

What happened at the department justice was there outcry would they get upset did they try to figure out who was at the bottom as did they go to the right -- -- what -- -- didn't exactly right -- -- -- letter Hanson that's what the issue is at its highest I.

I think that's right -- exact let me just remind your viewers that's -- I -- -- -- -- that.

Gradually -- gun walking get a gun walking was a practice that was started under the Bush Administration Republicans have not sought Angel and I passed anyway that today by the way -- usually -- dividend today just apologize.

Yeah.

I'm -- I want it because yeah there are three months it's not a racked up live well it's -- -- And record that -- it's a matter of record is not marking started under the bush administration's not a record that McCain -- -- -- -- -- -- to that effect.

Secondly stop it as a matter of record that the attorney general.

Not only stop the gun walking practice he was the first person call for an investigation into it and he did remove officials including US attorney in Phoenix.

The head of Nokia solid bureau of alcohol tobacco -- straight please stop interrupting me.

He did remove officials from office.

This has been a fishing expedition from day one we're -- you have you know saying that this thing was building it was scandal it has not this has been a fishing expedition trying to show -- attorney general.

Had specific knowledge about gun walking.

They have never produced anything like that I'd been the staff director of both of these committees -- district committee and the Government Reform Committee.

And unless you have a smoking gun you'll never prosecute a content so you think -- -- -- His only public.

-- back that the attorney general submitted evidence and then five months later -- -- that saying we were incorrect with what we submitted.

To the committee of the old whose that's old news today and it's on a secondary issue that there was never any if I can.

There was never any information there that the original had any knowledge of this and you wouldn't expect it -- that.

At general OK any knowledge about.

Well I think a lot of people would contend that it out whether I -- now is that it is is one of these questions here how the -- is going on there's no clear on what we're going to have now -- about -- yeah.

I would I don't -- that did not have knowledge of it.

Six of the problem with the hardly not a in this -- the truth -- -- -- general has created his own.

Problem he's created his own problem -- by not doing what Julian said widget to say to the questions he's answering the question it's -- -- either he doesn't know the answer or the answers are troubling to the department of government to ignore the North Carolina I usually you're here today leads -- -- -- -- --

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