Attorney General Eric Holder's Testimony on Journalist Investigations

I bring this to share as much for a reference item and something to return to for how far our freedoms and ability for the Press to operate freely has fallen, as the topical data it contains. It's very valuable in my view, as an official record to stand beside the various media accounts that often can't agree on the basics.

The title of the report is:

JOURNALISTS OR CRIMINALS?
Attorney General Eric Holder’s Testimony before the Committee and the Justice Department’s National Security Leak Investigative Techniques

The report is 35 pages of both analysis/summary and direct quoted testimony. This is not attempting to be a 'give the benefit of the doubt' report, and as such, will surely be called a strictly partisan attack piece by some. However, I'd remind folks that this isn't The Blaze or Fox News reporting. It's an official report and document, now a part of the National Record forever, wherein they cite his direct testimony in the support of conclusions reached and additional points raised to consider.

An idea of what this contains can be gleamed from the executive summary:

Mr. Holder assured the Committee, in sworn testimony, that “[w]ith regard to potential prosecution of the press for the disclosure of material, that is not something that I have ever been involved, heardof, or would think would be a wise policy.” Yet, as the Committee learned after its May 15, 2013, hearing, in 2010, the Justice Department obtained a search warrant for Fox News Chief Washington Correspondent James Rosen’s emails by swearing to a federal court that Mr. Rosen was a co-conspirator in a national security leak investigation.

When questioned by the Committee about the obvious clash between his testimony and the truth, Mr. Holder refused to answer questions from the Committee. Finally, after weeks of delay, Mr. Holder responded to the Committee’s inquiry. However, Mr. Holder’s responses do not ameliorate our concern that his testimony to the Committee was deceptive and misleading. We take little comfort in Mr. Holder’s assurances to us now that the Department never intended to prosecute Mr. Rosen when it labeled him a criminal suspect in 2010.

(space added)

Here is another piece from the same summary section at the head of the report.

The Committee finds that Mr. Holder’s sworn testimony in the Rosen matter was
deceptive and misleading. No amount of law-making can restore credibility and professionalism
to the Justice Department in the wake of these revelations. The only way to achieve this goal is
through an improvement in the quality of leadership at the Justice Department.

Source

The report was issued July 31, 2013.

I know it's become a near habit for some to reply in a knee jerk response before reading things an OP is based on. This is especially true when the linked material is more than a page or two of MSM level writing. I'd really urge folks to take a few moments to look over this though.

Again, this stands apart in value as being Official and representing not only sworn testimony but conclusions reached by people who hold and wield power based on them. Unlike a Reporter who really doesn't care much nor can do anything regarding each story they cover in a blur of endless stories, this may well lead to more being done. If so, here is the background and some of the solid, recorded fact which outlines this whole situation.

Phony scandal? No.... Holder's testimony was phony as established in direct examples of contradictions he made. The issue itself is anything but phony. We could only wish it were, in my humble opinion.

Congressional Report on Holder's Testimony - July 31, 2013

This is the same dbag who is in Contempt of Congress and which the DA for DC refuses to prosecute. This guy makes Ashcroft, Reno, and Meese seems like good choices.

Eric Holder reminds me of the bag of dirt that comes out of a vacuum cleaner.. The guy is morally destitute and running our justice department, what a disgrace to all Americans, and to the rest of the world.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Eric Holder is such a fail, it's no wonder he fits in so perfectly with the Obama admin. Like the rest of them he is delusional and out of touch with America.

Journalists are not criminals. Of course the Obama admin thinks they are because they are finally speaking their mind about what they truly think about this fail admin.

The more they keep trying to silence them, the more will come forward and put them into the spotlight, and not the good kind of spotlight.

I almost feel bad for the real journalist who are just trying to do their story and can't because of this detached admin.

-SAP-

reply to post by SloAnPainful


I do agree. However, I would note something. After watching videos online of Holder in his earlier years, such as this one? I've come to realize that in HIS case, Obama isn't the problem. Oh, Obama doesn't help anything. The two encourage and feed off each other. Still? Holder would be a threat to every American's liberty and freedom in that position with or without Obama being his boss. Some men are like that. They are just so single minded to an agenda that it really makes no difference who is around them. They'll do great damage with it until stopped.

His agendas seem to be many ...including some insane interest, early on, with increasing the overall violence and combat level of Mexico's civil war. That's led right on into a great many outrages since then and my happiest day right now would be to see him go into a Federal Prison as an inmate with a sentence to serve. It's happened before and he wouldn't' be the FIRST Attorney General of this nation to end his career with a number and an 8x10 room to ponder his pathetic life. It's ALMOST unheard of ...but that means it does have precedent and could be done again.

Let's hope this tinpot tyrant has truly upset Congress deeply enough with all this to warrant the full court push as time goes on to remove him by whatever procedural means are at their disposal to use. I think some very real aspects of our nation's future hinge on whether that happens or not.