You're watching...
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chair details meeting with attorney general, whether Holder will still face contempt charges
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
But first in less than twelve hours a house committee meets to vote he get one step closer to congress perhaps holding attorney general Eric Holder in contempt.
The question right now is there any chance you attorney general but make -- after hours delivery of documents to congress when I -- and avoid to -- contempt vote.
A few hours ago house oversight -- -- ice and attorney general holder -- -- one last stab at a resolution so how that meeting go.
We asked chairman I set.
-- -- -- Thanks for having me back on Greta on this important subject.
-- so did you get the documents and I think that Terry -- the United States that you had subpoenaed.
Sadly no we not only didn't get the documents but the only offer we got was an offer.
That if we would take a briefing followed by such documents is they think support the briefing.
And agree to -- the case.
We could go our separate ways.
The attorney general did not come with any offer -- any documents.
Except as a contingent for ending the case out right and he didn't bring any list of any documents or for that matter anything in writing.
I suppose he could have made a phone call to making that same offer our residents of endless.
Journey that we've been to for the last 44 hours waiting to see what would happen.
Well sadly what happened in this meeting was exactly what happened in our exchange of letters.
We said we need the documents and we do evaluate them we limited the scope extremely limited and he kept saying that he wanted to have a meeting so he's had the meeting.
How we didn't close the door I let him know that if he would produce meaningful documents meaningful relative to the subpoena on the speaker's request.
Before tomorrow's start up we would certainly.
Postpone and evaluate those documents but I -- not optimistic at this point.
The holiday open for business tonight as any indication there be -- delivery tonight.
We'll be here all night -- our offices will be open until after the market is completed tomorrow.
Did -- does this mean it -- it assuming that there are no documents it comes from the Department of Justice you -- jump between now and tomorrow about 10 AM.
Does this mean that you intend to go full speed ahead and seek to hold him in contempt at least voted out of the committee.
Well Greta we have no choice but to freedom for refusal to deliver documents that are.
Relevant to me -- lawful subpoena we have no doubt doubt but to no choice but to hold him in contempt.
It's not our choice we want the documents Brian Terry's family would like the documents.
That are responsive to how in fact.
Their son was gunned down with the weapons that came from.
Lawful dealers but -- -- the -- of thought behest of the Justice Department.
Have you had any conversation the last.
3648.
Hours with the speaker of the house as to anything about this request or fast and furious.
Well we've stayed in touch with the speaker staff.
Really his letter laid out a very reasonable extraordinarily reasonable limitation.
-- what it would take to prevent contempt.
And we further -- that after the discovery of the wiretaps so I think the speaker -- spoken pretty loudly.
He stands I believe shoulder to shoulder with all of us saying.
Please just give us the documents we need to conclude our investigation.
The practice -- -- so let's -- medicine to others about how do you committee.
For contempt let's assume that -- there's as a head -- from the House of Representatives for content what's the practical -- what -- what do you get in the end is there and you don't get -- documents but what do you get.
Well sadly they attorney general said in the meeting that if we go forward with contempt we did no cooperation from that time forward.
On the other hand he said if we would take the briefing we have who has close the case so we're sort of between a rock and a hard spot we.
We really have to go forward.
Yes contempt is unusual.
And the US attorney pleading the case.
Before a federal judge in DC I can take some time and unfortunately during that time we don't expect to get a lot of new discovery.
But again you really have no choice when.
The executive branch says no we won't allow you to look -- to misconduct within the executive branch.
Tonight did the attorney general said that one of my colleagues -- -- was there he said.
We -- this is in part we have made available an unprecedented number of documents it might.
That might resolve this matter let me ask you have they provided an unprecedented -- -- number of documents.
Not at all 7600.
Documents roughly.
Almost half of -- -- -- are regarding an operation that ended during the Bush Administration.
Is far from complete.
-- and let's remember the the inspector general's there's been two of them looking into this have received over 80000 pages so.
On a scale of what we've asked for that's limited.
And SK on on a fact faces of what we know exist.
Obviously it's insufficient.
Again.
What we've asked for his limited -- we're not looking for information that would lead to the eruption of any ongoing criminal case.
But we are looking for the misconduct that occurred within just us giving us false testimony and then standing by it for the best part of -- year.
Do you think the attorney general is deliberately trying to cover something up -- that he as a difference of opinion as to what he.
Should turn over to unlawfully turn -- -- But I think.
Often what happens is to avoid embarrassment they.
Don't provide information or they cover up what they know.
And then the cover up becomes a problem again we're looking simply to get to the bottom of how would -- was that guns were allowed to walk and the administration would tell us the guns never allowed to walk when in fact they were and then another best part of a year went by.
From February to November before they probably retracted that and said yes we really did like guns walk.
I tell you what happened he shows up I think -- on -- being agreed amount awarded to meet -- undated -- what was it like inside.
We met in one of the upstairs conference rooms on the third floor of the capitol sort of write -- beneath the rotunda.
As senator Leahy.
Congressmen Cummings.
The injured deputy attorney general -- and the attorney general on one side senator Grassley and myself on the other side.
We were hoping to hear about what the documents would be and see some of them instead they presented no paper.
And they simply told us in in return for ending the investigation.
They would give us a briefing and some supportive documents.
But we had to -- to -- the investigation outright without seeing the documents.
And -- Greta you've been an attorney you certainly gone through discovery nobody agrees to a settlement based on documents not seen and that's exactly what we -- asked to do.
So what do you say it when he Tony that what were your words to him.
Well what I said really was that I would certainly -- the doors open until tomorrow morning until we we go to the mark up.
In the hopes that he would change -- mind and deliver -- meaningful amount of documents responsive to the subpoena.
Very clearly he knew he knew he was a line attorney for twelve years he knew we couldn't take -- steal it wasn't a good faith offer.
Based on what he would do if he were on the other side of the table.
We have an obligation to find out.
Who was responsible.
-- he hasn't fired any one so it's kind of hard to believe that he's found out who's responsible.
-- a very short meeting as best I can figure out somebody called to you know it's over at times up.
Who said -- video was said this is overheard by -- -- going nowhere who said what to and that's.
Well that's that's always a question and then in this case senator Leahy got up and said I've got to go back to a vote.
Senator Grassley got up shortly thereafter.
Mr.
Cummings got up to go to go -- and then I got up.
But ultimately didn't and the meeting had resolved everything that we could go back and forth probably twenty minutes earlier.
We gave opportunity for mr.
-- for the attorney general holder.
-- -- senator Leahy and for mr.
coming to each state their positions and that took about five minutes apiece.
Did he know the attorney general did you communicate them to communicate to him right then and there look I'm going forward to -- -- -- that.
I did I tell them that that he gave us nothing that would cause us not to go forward but that we would hold the door -- open for actual discovery.
And he said what -- when you tell -- that.
Well he started through the the same line that he used in public statements.
That you've seen it before judiciary.
Unprecedented access.
Nobody can give you the deliberative process were willing to do it but it's unprecedented.
And again.
We you're we're sorry to have to ask for this information but I think the American people by now if they've been following fast and furious.
Know that we don't have answers relative to who was responsible for Brian Terry as it went up the -- we certainly don't have.
Any information about how what document that was false remained out there for ten months.
It's what was his demeanor when he told them that no dice I'm going forward.
And that's my word don't -- -- thing.
It was a calm meeting I think they're the exchange of letters told us that -- -- positions changed we'd end up where we are.
He came in basically consistent with the a much earlier letter that said that he would provide us a briefing and then some documents that supported it.
Let let's understand.
The problem is he's already reached the conclusion that they did nothing wrong his briefing.
Very clearly is going to tell us they did nothing wrong that he's made the changes necessary.
Because of -- failed policy that began during the Bush Administration.
And he ended and and that he would give us such documents to -- deemed we needed to understand that he was innocent.
That's an interesting -- defense it's one that I don't think you'd ever wrote suggests be used in a court.
President think he's there and have the look forward to seeing now what happens tomorrow and after come -- since they're.
Of course thank.
