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Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-PA) on the resolution of contempt draft issued against Attorney General Eric Holder, and the potential consequences he faces.
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For more on the contempt order draft against the attorney general I'm joined by congressman Patrick Meehan.
-- -- house oversight committee and congressman good to have you with this the this is now beginning to move rather quickly or hearing that and an investigation that has taken in excess of a year.
How close are we to to actually.
Contempt proceed.
Well this will be given up process the presentation of this draft will be given to.
The oversight committee itself for -- review and approval.
Find if approved taken to the full congress so.
My suspicion is that term and I civil give that to us upon I wrote I return to Washington early next week.
And house leadership obviously supporting.
This moved to have the house.
Oversight committee at least approve the contempt draft.
Talk about the areas that are.
Who in the top management of the Department of Justice does the committee -- most responsible.
For the failure.
To produce documents specific.
Well I think you answered the fundamental question about you know who is.
A responsible for the decision making in those same people seem to be involved in.
The stonewalling of the numerous requests for for documents and one of the facts that people seem to.
Forget is an awful lot of information -- brought to the committee from whistle blowers people who have identified information so there's -- recognition that there's certain information that's out there.
And a request for documents that are believed to be in the possession the Justice Department to speak to the very things that are known to exist so the effort is to have -- be compliant.
And to this point in time it's been a systematic.
Stonewalling frankly.
And in.
And who do you hold responsible beyond.
The attorney general himself -- support.
While these matters go right to the highest levels of the Justice Department these issues are resolved.
Likely at the the level of the deputy attorney general and -- actually include consultation.
When you have an issue like this -- risen.
With the potential contempt of congress proceeding.
The -- It -- that -- malpractice not to be bringing this directly to the attention attorney general.
And and many.
In Washington have expressed some some surprise that -- chairman -- has been so patient.
Because contemporaneously.
With the house investigation.
The inspector general has been investigating.
Threw out the the Justice Department on the operation fast and furious and it to this point is produced nothing.
That.
There would be shared with either the committee or for that matter as far as we know the attorney general himself.
Is dollar complication.
For a contempt.
Proceeding -- or not.
It may partially be but -- you know here's the issue we have to put this back in the perspective.
There are the families of two agents.
Who have lost their children.
And they have been asking questions and they believe that they have not had answers coming and we need to put this.
Back into the perspective that this is about those victims and the refusal the Justice Department to.
To you know to be responsive to really answering the questions about.
Who -- what who authorized this and who's made changes of decisions.
With information they've already given to us and what kind of communications took place among the numerous agencies.
Who had information in from of them.
That may have changed the circumstances that occurred in Mexico so these are really fundamental questions there's been stonewalling that's been going on a great deal of patience on the part of the family and hopefully -- what this does is it and if it compels them to be response.
To -- that documents this is an investigation that may already have been concluded by congress if in fact we had appropriate responsiveness.
Congressman Patrick -- we thank you for being with us thank you so much.
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