Oh this looks bad! A senior Department of Justice official will take the fifth when he testifies before congress next week. As I reported earlier Patrick Cunningham from the Arizona US attorney office has been subpoenaed to testify before Congressman Darrell Issa's House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Now Cunningham has indicated his intention to invoke the fifth amendment protection against self incrimination. Congressman Issa has released this statement;
“The assertion of the fifth amendment by a senior Justice official is a significant indictment of the Department’s integrity in Operation Fast and Furious. The former head of the ATF has previously told the committee that the Justice Department is managing its response to Operation Fast and Furious in a manner designed to protect its political appointees. This is the first time anyone has asserted their fifth amendment right in this investigation and heightens concerns that the Justice Department’s motivation for refusing to hand over subpoenaed materials is a desire to shield responsible officials from criminal charges and other embarrassment.
“Coming a year after revelations about reckless conduct in Operation Fast and Furious were first brought to light, the assertion of the fifth amendment also raises questions about whether President Obama and Attorney General Holder have made a serious and adequate response to allegations raised by whistleblowers. Did Attorney General Holder really not know a senior Justice Department official fears criminal prosecution or is this just another example of him hiding important facts? The committee will continue to demand answers.”
Cunningham is making a compelling case for the appointment of a special prosecutor. When a prosecutor takes the fifth amendment something is very wrong. As I said, this looks bad.
No comments:
Post a Comment