Politics

Boehner’s office: Politico report wrong, Issa leading charge against Holder

Matthew Boyle Investigative Reporter
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Politico reporters Jake Sherman and John Bresnahan reported inaccurate information about the coming contempt of Congress proceedings against Attorney General Eric Holder over Operation Fast and Furious, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner told The Daily Caller.

Late Monday, Sherman and Bresnahan wrote: “Even as Speaker John Boehner said Monday that the DOJ is ‘out of excuses,’ his staff and the Justice Department are continuing informal discussions. Those talks haven’t yielded any progress, and Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa is planning his contempt vote for June 20 in committee.”

Boehner spokesman Michael Steel told TheDC, though, that it was inaccurate for Politico to report that.

“There are no talks between the Speakers’ office and the Department of Justice aimed at resolving this – and any such discussions would be handled by Chairman Issa and his staff,” Steel said in an email.

“There is no daylight between the House Republican leadership and the Oversight Committee on this issue,” wrote Steel. “We are all committed to holding the Department of Justice accountable.”

This is the second time in two weeks that Boehner’s office has pushed back on what it views as inaccurate reporting related to House leadership and Operation Fast and Furious.

The New York Times’ Charlie Savage wrongly reported last week that Boehner was working to cut a deal with Holder, but has since updated his piece and admitted to not seeking comment from Boehner’s office — an apparent violation of the Times’ journalistic ethics code.

Sherman has not returned TheDC’s requests for comment about the Politico report. Bresnahan referred TheDC to a Politico spokeswoman, who has not immediately returned TheDC’s request for comment.

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