Flashback: Jerry Nadler Complains About ‘Shameful, Politically-Motivated’ Contempt Vote of Eric Holder

Nadler Askew
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Sean Moran

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) complained in 2012 about the Republicans’ “shameful, politically-motivated” vote to hold then-Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt.

The Democrat-controlled House Judiciary Committee voted in favor of holding Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress for refusing to hand over the unredacted Robert Mueller report and its underlying documents, which would violate federal law.

As Nadler moved to hold Barr in contempt, Nadler declared the move necessary as the country enters a “constitutional crisis.”

However, Nadler took a similar approach when House Republicans moved to hold Barack Obama’s attorney general in contempt for refusing to hand over documents relating to the Fast and Furious gun-running scandal, wherein Justice Department officials tracked thousands of guns smuggled through the border but did nothing to stop the gun-trafficking.

“Just joined the #walkout of the House chamber to protest the shameful, politically-motivated GOP vote holding AG Holder in contempt,” Rep. Nadler tweeted in 2012.

More than 100 Democrats walked out of the House chamber over the vote to hold Holder in contempt of Congress.

“What is happening here is shameful,” said Pelosi at the time.

Donald Trump Jr. tweeted on Wednesday, “Ahh the irony. Political hacks gonna hack.”

During the Wednesday House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) quoted Nadler’s 1998 opposition to the release of Ken Starr’s report detailing how Bill Clinton lied.

Buck said, “Mr. Chairman, you said in 1998 that a report of this kind is ‘a prosecutor’s report,’ by its nature a one-sided report.”

The Colorado Republican also referenced Nadler’s comments that grand jury testimony is often “unverified” and could be “salacious,” and its release would be “unfair.”

“You said it would be ‘grossly unfair’ to allow members of the Judiciary Committee to see the materials in relation to a report involving obstruction of justice by a Democratic President,” Buck said.

Stumbling over his words, Rep. Nadler then responded, “The amendment incompletely and mischaracterizes my position of 20 years ago. It mischaracterizes my position of today. I in any event reserve the right to learn over 20 years,” Nadler said.

“Yes a prosecutor’s report is a prosecutor’s report, it is not necessarily totally objective, yes we should look at other evidence too, but that’s where you start,” Rep. Nadler added.

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.

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