◼ President Obama uses executive privilege on Fast and Furious - POLITICO (image source)
“Until now, everyone believed that the decisions regarding ‘Fast and Furious’ were confined to the Department of Justice. The White House decision to invoke executive privilege implies that White House officials were either involved in the ‘Fast and Furious’ operation or the cover-up that followed,” said Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) spokesman, Michael Steel. “The Administration has always insisted that wasn’t the case. Were they lying, or are they now bending the law to hide the truth?”◼ BREAKING: Obama grants Holder request on 'Furious' documents as contempt vote looms - FOX
President Obama has granted an 11th-hour request by Attorney General Eric Holder to exert executive privilege over Fast and Furious documents, a last-minute maneuver that appears unlikely to head off a contempt vote against Holder by Republicans in the House.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is expected to forge ahead Wednesday morning with its meeting on the contempt resolution anyway.
If the vote proceeds, Republicans have more than enough votes on committee to pass the resolution. However, Holder would not be considered held in contempt of Congress unless and until the full House approves the measure.
The move by Holder and Obama to lock down some requested documents only complicates the fight over the botched anti-gunrunning operation between the legislative and executive branches.
◼ PRESIDENT OBAMA GRANTS EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE TO ERIC HOLDER OVER ‘FAST AND FURIOUS’ DOCUMENTS - The Blaze
◼ Transparency: Eric Holder runs for White House cover; obtains executive privilege over Fast and Furious docs; Update: AG letter added - Michelle Malkin
...And yes, this does give clear and unmistakable lie to the Holder spin that Fast and Furious was just a local, little nothing-burger contretemps out of Arizona that had nooooothing to do with DOJ and the executive branch. Executive privilege applies to communications in which the president, ahem, was directly involved....◼ Obama exerts executive privilege over Fast and Furious documents. - Althouse
◼ Obama asserts executive privilege on Fast and Furious documents - CNN
In a letter to Obama seeking the assertion of executive privilege, Holder said the documents involved related to the Justice Department's "response to congressional oversight and related media inquiries," and that release of internal executive branch documents would have "significant, damaging consequences."◼ GRASSLEY: ASSERTION 'RAISES MONUMENTAL QUESTIONS'... - Washington Times via Drudge
Holder also said releasing the documents would "inhibit the candor of executive branch deliberations in the future and significantly impair the ability of the executive branch to respond independently and effectively to congressional oversight."
◼ ...'Over documents he's supposedly never seen?' - Des Moines Register
◼ Obama invokes Executive Privilege after long stall by Holder - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
◼ WHITE HOUSE ASSERTS EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE CLAIM TO FURTHER DOJ’S FAST AND FURIOUS COVER-UP - Powerline
◼ Issa pushes ahead with Holder contempt vote despite Obama intervention - FOX
◼ Judge Napolitano on ‘Fast and Furious’ Documents: Executive Privilege Only Applies If the President Was Personally Involved - FOX
◼ Fast And Furious: Executive Privilege Is Illegitimate to Shield Wrongdoing - Heritage
◼ Holder retracts claim Bush team knew about Fast and Furious - Washington Examiner
◼ What to Make of Obama’s Executive Privilege Move? - Bryan Preston/PJM
