The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee took a step toward holding Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of court.
In a motion filed Thursday, the committee asked U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berma Jackson to hold him in contempt and personally fine him for failing to turn over privileged documents responsive to a committee subpoena on Operation Fast and Furious by an Oct. 1 due date.
The House committee even suggested jailing Holder, who will step down later this year, according to Politico.
“Should the Court determine that the Attorney General has violated that Order, the Court should impose on the Attorney General an appropriate penalty to coerce his compliance with the August 20 Order, including an escalating daily monetary fine against Eric H. Holder, Jr., to be paid by Mr. Holder out of his personal assets, converting to incarceration if the payment of daily monetary fines does not produce compliance within a reasonable period of time,” House Counsel Kerry Kircher and other lawyers wrote in the new motion.
The Justice Department said it would respond to the motion by Nov. 3, a deadline they say the House committee agreed upon for all documents requested, not just the Fast and Furious Ones, according to spokesman Brian Fallon.
Last week, Holder announced he would resign as soon as his successor is confirmed.
