Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI), a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, voted to approve contempt charges against Attorney General Eric Holder over his stonewalling of the Committee's "Fast and Furious" investigation. The Committee approved the contempt charges with a 23-17 vote this afternoon.
"Attorney General Holder has refused to comply with a congressional subpoena requiring him to hand over documents related to Operation Fast and Furious. Pursuing contempt was not the Committee's nor my first choice for resolving the issue. Unfortunately, the Department of Justice forced the Committee's action by deliberately obstructing our investigation," said Amash. "I applaud Chairman Issa for his patience and his leadership on this issue. The American people demand we hold accountable those who were responsible for this reckless and deadly operation."
Oversight and Government Reform has been investigating Operation Fast and Furious since February 2011. In the operation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives deliberately allowed criminals to smuggle more than 1,000 guns into the hands of Mexican drug cartels. Fast and Furious finally came to a halt when the gun-walking operation led to the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, who grew up in Michigan.