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Rep. Trey Gowdy, (R-SC), on holding the Attorney General in Contempt of Congress and efforts to get the documents requested in the investigation of th...
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House holding attorney general Eric Holder and -- criminal and civil contempt of congress my next -- Making an impassioned speech ahead of that vote.
Congress is right to -- is no matter aware at Texas.
No matter what your administration was empowered and a -- -- what the facts are we are right to pursue this.
-- -- wrong if we settle for anything blast and all the fact.
Joining us now.
The congressman you just heard trade -- of South Carolina memorable by house oversight and Judiciary Committee the leader into the fast and furious.
Scandal.
Congressman great to have you with -- You could have asked for much more do you have now right contempt of congress.
Charge civil and -- crumble.
Where do you go from here.
Well -- thank you for having me on and thank you for covering this issue -- the skill and the depth and breath that you have -- we would not have been here today I don't believe.
Where we go from here how would trade all of -- -- for the documents this was never about holding.
The attorney general and contempt of congress.
Are -- -- all -- states plus saying it's a sad day -- how long you have an -- all the documents where do we go from here.
The criminal contempt portion goes to US attorney for the District Columbia my suspicion is it doesn't go very far the civil content.
Portugal what -- voted on goes to a federal judge of the DC.
District and hopefully executive privilege will be defeated doesn't should be and ultimately we'll get the documents and -- the truth but it won't be as quick.
As it could be if the attorney general would just give us what we're asking.
And give us always realistic sense of the time it's going to be involved these.
Two citations -- Be moving contemporaneously.
I presume is that correct.
Yes serve the criminal.
Will be referred to US attorney for the -- Columbia.
He may or may not referred to a grand jury.
The reality is that I'll try to be as -- as I cannot think the US attorney under the Bush Administration did not refer those contempt citations to a grand jury either.
I don't expect this -- the US attorney to.
I don't think we're gonna know anything.
From these documents.
Before November.
That does not mean the judiciary oversight are going to stop investigating and we have other sources potentially.
-- the documents.
Were not stopping its -- This particular subset of documents that we want we're not likely to get it until after the election.
And the civil procedure that's that's within your.
Your power and per -- to move ahead and through -- federal district court.
Which court house soon.
Realistically.
It could be a federal judge in the DC circuit.
House we would have to litigate executive privilege.
Judges.
I used to work for one they have life tenure so important for him off.
They take as long as they -- Again I do not expect a resolution.
A before November.
But I can tell you this.
To prove to you just never was a political exercise.
Even if there is a Republican.
Come next January we're gonna pursue this with the same firm the bigger as we do with the current administration.
I want the documents I don't -- who the president is -- peer review attorney general -- -- want the document.
And think at this juncture.
Where this -- investigation -- we know that there was awards and turned over to your committee.
-- your investigators.
I believe it is seven applications for wiretaps which carry with them a great deal of information.
It's information that you all have been relatively constrained with -- in making public.
Do you have -- sources are you going well beyond what we know now.
Well I hope we do you know are credited to signal -- cool.
-- -- interesting not and it's true sense of the word in the Washington Post.
From an ATF agent named William -- -- I haven't heard from -- over year McCrery was before a committee and he was defending fast and furious.
Will thinking crawl out of the woodwork perhaps.
Agents who were critical of the operation of the komen -- and say you know what it's -- for me to speak up to.
We only have a couple sources of information the Department of Justice who's -- keeper of records.
And whistle blowers who want to do the right thing and make sure we have all the evidence.
I would hope anyone who has documents.
I'm not interested in things that jeopardize investigations but anyone who has relevant so -- documents.
Be able to the committee on oversight and government reform will be a good Steward of it it's not about politics we just want to get justice proprietary to spam.
Is I read William -- comment.
Those published accounts today.
I can recall vividly his appearance before your committee.
They -- were you struck by any similarity in either tone and demeanor.
Posture -- -- -- Well.
If he did a very poor job of explaining how this investigation was ever going to work when -- questioned.
Because it never was going to work even if they -- all the things they wanted to do the notion of Mexico is gonna extradite Mexican drug cartel leaders.
Back to the United States for prosecution.
Is harmful Hillary they're more likely to say -- send us your ATF agents who violated -- -- So I don't know where he got this new found courage that this was a great investigation that certainly wasn't the -- took when he was before.
OGR but maybe -- if you're talking to a reporter that it is the former prosecutors on the oversight.
And perhaps timing and something to do little congressman whole lot old or would that -- you wouldn't.
Congressman -- -- to talk moviegoers thanks for being here congressman George you don't appreciate your.
