WASHINGTON, DC -
A House committee has voted to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for failing to turn over Justice Department documents related to the botched gun sting, Operation Fast and Furious.
The straight party-line vote was 23-17.
The vote followed a decision by President Barack Obama earlier in the day to assert executive privilege for the first time in his administration in order to protect the confidentiality of the documents.
This would be the first time a sitting attorney general is cited for contempt.
"The ayes have it and a contempt report is ordered reported to the House," said Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), recording the vote.
Holder is possibly headed to a contempt vote on the House floor. President Obama tried to prevent it Wednesday morning by invoking executive privilege and denying House Republicans the documents Holder refused to turn over to about Operation Fast and Furious.
Everyone agrees that the gun-running sting went bad, letting Mexican gangs walk away with 2,000 assault weapons. When US border patrol agent Brian Terry was murdered in Arizona in 2010, two of the guns were found at the scene.
"Who knew about Fast and Furious? When did they know about it and how high up did it go?" said Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN).
House Republicans had suspected Attorney General Eric Holder knew and covered up. Now they say they suspect President Obama.
"What in the world is he asserting executive privilege for? He's either part of it or he's not," said Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC).
Holder has given Republicans 7,600 documents. He offered a partial release of the rest last night.
"They rejected what I thought was an extraordinary offer on our part," said Holder.
Democrats charge that it's not about guns or cover-ups, but instead it's politics.
"There shouldn't be a political witch hunt against the attorney general of our country and our president in an election year," said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).
It would take a vote of the full House to find Holder in contempt. It's not yet clear if House leaders want to go that far.
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