Attorney General Eric Holder is facing calls from increasingly frustrated Congressmen to step down from his office over the Fast and Furious gunrunning scandal and the investigation into leaked national security information. Today Senator John Cornyn of Texas added his name to the list, calling for Holder’s resignation during a Senate hearing Tuesday morning. Cornyn’s call came in response to Holder’s decision to appoint two lawyers from the Justice Department to investigate the leak probe instead of an outside prosecutor.
Cornyn said,
“I would say that you leave me no alternative but to join those that call upon you to resign your office. Americans deserve an attorney general that will be honest with them, they deserve an attorney general who will uphold the basic standards of political independence and accountability. You’ve proven time and time again, sadly, that you’re unwilling to do so.”
Holder was defiant telling Republican’s he had no intention of resigning and that they should stop playing politics. Holder has been facing mounting criticism on Capital Hill, with the House deciding on filing Contempt of Congress charges over Fast and Furious.
The Senate is moving to establish legislation calling for an independent prosecutor over the leaks investigation. Legislation being proposed by Senator John McCain and Senator Lindsey Graham calls for just that. Even though both parties have expressed outrage over the leaks there is no rush by Democrats to appoint an independent prosecutor.
Holder says that the layers he chose to investigate are up to the task,
“These U.S. attorneys are fully authorized to consult with members of the intelligence community, to follow all appropriate leads wherever they do lead, and ultimately to prosecute any criminal violations to the fullest extent of the law. They will do an independent and thorough job.”
The Obama Administration is being accused of leaking information to the New York Times about the President’s selection of terror targets in drone strikes and on cyber warfare directed at Iran’s nuclear program. Critics are saying the information was leaked in order to make President Obama look tough in an election year.
Representative Peter King said to Fox News ,
“It was obvious from reading the stories that the administration is trying to give the president glory,”
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney called that idea “wrong and absurd.”
