Photo Credit: Reuters
By DAVID MARTOSKO. The House Committee on the Judiciary is investigating whether Attorney General Eric Holder lied to Congress during a May 15 hearing, with one Republican aide close to the investigation telling MailOnline that ‘perjury is on the table’ as one possible outcome of the congressional probe.
In the hearing, Holder addressed what was then the only known instance of his Justice Department obtaining private phone records of journalists without notifying them. That case involved the records of approximately 20 journalists at the Associated Press, and the DOJ spying to determine the source of a leak about a CIA operation in Yemen.
‘With regard to the potential prosecution of the press for the disclosure of material,’ Holder testified, ‘that is not something that I’ve ever been involved in, heard of, or would think would be a wise policy. In fact, my view is quite the opposite.’
Days later, news emerged that James Rosen, a Fox News Channel correspondent, was also the subject of a DOJ subpoena targeting his phone records and personal emails, and that Holder personally signed off on the secret application to a judge for the seizure of those records.
That report, from NBC News, cited a statement from the DOJ acknowledging that the Rosen search warrant application was approved ‘at the highest levels’ of the agency, including ‘discussions’ with Holder himself. Read more from this story HERE.
______________________________________________________
House Republicans express “great concern” about possible Holder perjury
By JAKE MILLER, JILL JACKSON, STEPHANIE LAMBIDAKIS. Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday expressing “great concern” about the possibility that Holder lied under oath during his testimony earlier this month on the Justice Department’s seizing of journalists’ records, CBS News has learned.
On May 15, Holder told the committee he wasn’t involved in “the potential prosecution” of a member of the press under the Espionage Act for disclosing classified information. “This is not something I’ve ever been involved in, heard of, or would think would be wise policy,” he said.
Shortly thereafter, reports began to surface that the Justice Department, in addition to seizing telephone and email records of Associated Press reporters, had seized the the emails and phone records of Fox News correspondent James Rosen. While Holder had recused himself from the AP proceedings, the Washington Post reported that the attorney general had personally signed off on the search warrant for Rosen’s records.
In the search warrant, the FBI called Rosen a “criminal co-conspirator” and suggested there’s probable cause that he violated federal law. Rosen was not charged with any crime.
House Judiciary Republicans, in their letter, raise the possibility that Holder perjured himself by issuing an ironclad denial of any involvement in the investigation and potential prosecution of reporters. “The media reports and statements issued by the Department regarding the search warrants for Mr. Rosen’s emails appear to be at odds with your sworn testimony before the Committee,” they wrote. “We believe – and we hope you will agree – it is imperative that the Committee, the Congress and the American people be provided a full and accurate account of your involvement in and approval of these search warrants.” Read more from this story HERE.
The Associated Press says it will not attend this week’s off-the-record meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder unless the Justice Department decides to change its mind and conduct the meeting on the record.
