House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) said in a statement about Attorney General Eric Holder’s resignation that Holder “abused his office” and “failed to uphold the values of our Constitution.”
“Eric Holder is the most divisive U.S. Attorney General in modern history, and in a vote supported by 17 Democratic House members, has the dubious historic distinction of being the first attorney general held in criminal contempt by the U.S. House of Representatives,” Issa said in his statement, adding:
Time and again, Eric Holder administered justice as the political activist he describes himself as, instead of an unbiased law enforcement official. By needlessly injecting politics into law enforcement, Attorney General Holder’s legacy has eroded more confidence in our legal system than any attorney general before him. Through strong-arming reporters, practically ignoring high level wrongdoing, blocking his own agency Inspector General’s access to information, and overseeing a Department that attempted to stonewall congressional oversight with denials of what is now established fact, Attorney General Holder abused his office and failed to uphold the values of our Constitution. While President Obama and the Senate should work expeditiously to find a replacement, time and care must be taken to ensure that our next attorney general recognizes and does not repeat Mr. Holder’s mistakes.
Issa has led the battle from the House of Representatives over Operation Fast and Furious and has been a thorn in Holder’s side for years. It was his committee that initiated the contempt of Congress citations over Holder’s refusal to cooperate with the investigation, something that spawned Obama’s assertion of executive privilege over the documents and the scores of calls for Holder’s resignation.
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