The Department of Justice announced it has reached a settlement with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to turn over documents related to its investigation into the botched Fast and Furious gun-running operation.
In June 2012, the House of Representatives voted to hold then-Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt for refusing to turn over certain documents related to the botched sting, which he dismissed as “politically motivated.”
The House also approved a civil measure against the attorney general, which allowed the House Oversight Committee to eventually file a lawsuit against Holder over his failure to produce the subpoenaed documents.
That lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington in August 2012.
Now, it appears that six-year long court battle is coming to an end.
“The Department of Justice under my watch is committed to transparency and the rule of law. This settlement agreement is an important step to make sure that the public finally receives all the facts related to Operation Fast and Furious,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement Wednesday.
The settlement has been filed in federal court in Washington, the Justice Department said.
Former House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said Saturday he met with Sessions to again request the Holder documents — where he learned the decision would be left to the courts.
“[Sessions] said NO and decided to let it continue to play out in court. Frustrating and disappointing to say the least,” Chaffetz — who has called for Sessions to be removed — wrote in a Saturday tweet.
Operation Fast and Furious took place from late 2009 to early 2011 when the Phoenix Field division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allowed the illegal gun sales of nearly 2,000 firearms with the intent to track the sellers and buyers, believed to be part of Mexican drug cartels.
Two of the weapons linked to the operation were later recovered near the scene of a December 2010 shootout where U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed. This, plus whistleblowing, caused the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to open investigations into the botched operation.
