Committee preparing contempt citation for Holder

Alleged failure to honor subpoenas

Washington – The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said today it is preparing a Contempt of Congress citation for Attorney General Eric Holder.

Though a final decision on issuing the citation hasn't been made, an official said the citation could be avoided if the Justice Department produces documents sought by the committee regarding Operation Fast and Furious. The official is unnamed in published reports because he has not been authorized to make a statement on the subject.

In Operation Fast and Furious, U.S. agents hoping to track weapons allowed hundreds of guns to flow from U.S. gun shops in Arizona into Mexico. Two of the guns were later discovered at the scene of the killing of a U.S. border agent.

The committee has subpoenaed nearly two dozen categories of documents on the Fast and Furious operation, but no documents have been produced from a dozen of those categories, the official said.

The Justice Department wrote Chairman Darrell Issa, R-CA, a letter dated April 19, saying it was regularly producing requested documents.

"We have provided documents to the committee at least twice every month since late last year as part of the department's ongoing efforts to comply with the committee's subpoenas and other requests for information," wrote Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich.