- Oct 7, 2011
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DOJ official plans to plead the Fifth, refuse to testify on Fast and Furious
Department of Justice official Patrick Cunningham has reportedly planned to plead the Fifth Amendment to avoid incriminating himself in response to a subpoena House oversight committee chairman Rep. Darrell Issa served him that will compel him to appear before Congress about Operation Fast and Furious.
Cunningham has been the chief of the criminal division of the Arizona U.S. Attorneys office in Phoenix for the past two years. In subpoenaing Cunningham, Issa said he has information indicating Cunningham helped approve gun walking as an acceptable tactic under the Obama administrations DOJ.
Cunningham, according to Issa, has repeatedly refused to testify before Congress about Fast and Furious. Now that hes been subpoenaed and announced that hell plead the Fifth Amendment, this signals the first time an official in President Barack Obamas and Attorney General Eric Holders Department of Justice has refused to testify over Operation Fast and Furious on the basis that he or she may admit to committing a crime.
Issa said that Cunninghams plan to plead the Fifth Amendment to avoid incriminating himself over his role in Operation Fast and Furious is a sign that theres serious politically-motivated foul play going on within the Justice Department.
The assertion of the Fifth Amendment by a senior Justice official is a significant indictment of the Departments integrity in Operation Fast and Furious, Issa said. The former head of the ATF has previously told the committee that the Justice Department is managing its response to Operation Fast and Furious in a manner designed to protect its political appointees. This is the first time anyone has asserted their Fifth Amendment right in this investigation and heightens concerns that the Justice Departments motivation for refusing to hand over subpoenaed materials is a desire to shield responsible officials from criminal charges and other embarrassment."
Read more: Fast and Furious | Fifth Amendment | Patrick Cunningham | The Daily Caller
Department of Justice official Patrick Cunningham has reportedly planned to plead the Fifth Amendment to avoid incriminating himself in response to a subpoena House oversight committee chairman Rep. Darrell Issa served him that will compel him to appear before Congress about Operation Fast and Furious.
Cunningham has been the chief of the criminal division of the Arizona U.S. Attorneys office in Phoenix for the past two years. In subpoenaing Cunningham, Issa said he has information indicating Cunningham helped approve gun walking as an acceptable tactic under the Obama administrations DOJ.
Cunningham, according to Issa, has repeatedly refused to testify before Congress about Fast and Furious. Now that hes been subpoenaed and announced that hell plead the Fifth Amendment, this signals the first time an official in President Barack Obamas and Attorney General Eric Holders Department of Justice has refused to testify over Operation Fast and Furious on the basis that he or she may admit to committing a crime.
Issa said that Cunninghams plan to plead the Fifth Amendment to avoid incriminating himself over his role in Operation Fast and Furious is a sign that theres serious politically-motivated foul play going on within the Justice Department.
The assertion of the Fifth Amendment by a senior Justice official is a significant indictment of the Departments integrity in Operation Fast and Furious, Issa said. The former head of the ATF has previously told the committee that the Justice Department is managing its response to Operation Fast and Furious in a manner designed to protect its political appointees. This is the first time anyone has asserted their Fifth Amendment right in this investigation and heightens concerns that the Justice Departments motivation for refusing to hand over subpoenaed materials is a desire to shield responsible officials from criminal charges and other embarrassment."
Read more: Fast and Furious | Fifth Amendment | Patrick Cunningham | The Daily Caller