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GOP hopes judge can force release of gunrunning docs

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    House Republicans file suit against Eric Holder

  • Duration 4:46
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A group of house Republicans now officially suing -- US attorney general Eric Holder.

Urging a federal judge to force the Justice Department to turn over documents in the botched gun running staying -- known as fast and furious.

The chairman of the house oversight and Government Reform Committee -- I sat is leading that charge listen -- him.

They lied to congress.

They then covered it up for ten months and that's what they're claiming privilege.

Much of what we're asking for is who lied to us who produced the document behind the scenes.

Did they know -- didn't they know -- provide yet.

That's a very simple standard and it's the Nixon standard are you entitled.

To cover up your own wrongdoing.

Lot of questions -- -- Utah Republican congressman Jason shape it's also on that committee also very much behind this.

The force of this inquiry.

And they have now filed this lawsuit congressman welcome good to have you here today.

Thanks for them so everyone knows that this that these documents were subpoenaed.

-- I mean that what you wanna get to the bottom of is who knew what the Justice Department and how high up did it go and was there an effort to covered up.

How what what does this -- to move the ball forward in your opinion it what in what felt like the became a stalled investigation.

Well chairman I saw last October issued a subpoena requiring the Department of Justice to supply congress.

A 140000.

Documents they've given us less than 8000 of those documents.

And the United States America you just don't ignore -- subpoena but their failure to provide this information to comply with this of subpoena.

What does that have to hold the the attorney general Department of Justice in contempt of congress.

Then the US attorney in Washington DC said he wasn't -- a prosecutor wasn't gonna move forward so we have to file a civil suit.

Which now allows us to go before a judge independently.

And then force the White House and the Department of Justice due to justify document by document.

Why they think executive privileges is warranted here and why they shouldn't turn those documents over to congress -- take months.

But it will help us root out the problem we get to the to -- There wasn't a memo that said it that they knew nothing about it.

Then they retracted.

That -- them -- correct.

-- February 4 they sent a letter to senator Grassley saying that the Department of Justice the the alcohol tobacco -- never did any sort of gun walking.

Ten months later -- track that was totally false.

We want to know what happened remember -- Obstruction of congress as we seek this inquiry is a felony so there's some people back there I'm sure that are very nervous about this there's a reason why the White House is trying to cover this up and we want to get to the bottom.

I mean I think for a lot of folks in have been bombing the story all along that the obvious question is if nothing was done wrong why why not just -- a huge document dump turnover.

Everything that they've got.

In fact what they've done it is the opposite they asserted executive privilege over those documents and and you guys are trying to.

Force them to explain how they how they substantiate that correct.

In march of 2011 President Obama set and a television interview there were probably mistakes made and if there were the -- at the bottom of those.

He said they were going to be the most open and transparent administration.

Ever that is totally contrary to what has happened in fast and furious I think he had some people who -- deadly mistakes.

We have a dead Border Patrol agent had been in Brian Terry we owe it to his family.

To it to help solve this.

The name of the committee is oversight and government reform their number reforms that have to happen cannot let go -- this between chairman I said -- -- myself we're not gonna let go this this is not the end of -- Another member of that oversight committee Elijah Cummings believes that your your motivation it is otherwise and and here's what he said about it.

He's at -- scenes at the house Republican leaders do not want to resolve the contempt issue.

And prefer to generate unnecessary conflict with the administration as the election nears.

We were lied to you don't just go -- lie to congress and a block away and say well -- sorry about that.

They also haven't -- with the subpoena and as my colleague trade Gotti says repeatedly what percentage of the truth deal one.

We want a 100% of the truth you have to comply with the subpoena -- -- always those 140000 documents now what the civil suit filed yesterday.

The White House the Department of Justice is gonna have to.

Document by document all 140000.

Go through justify why they shouldn't have to share that with the congress.

And it all goes back to lives.

And including Brian Terry's life and his family when you listen to his father say I know that he he firmly believes.

That something has been covered up here he deserves that resolution to get all of the documents and make sure that that nothing.

Untoward has happened here -- cheapest thank you for the update it -- he has always -- front.

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