WASHINGTON, DC – House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement on the civil lawsuit filed today asking the federal district court to enforce the House subpoena against Attorney General Eric Holder and overturn the Obama administration’s frivolous executive privilege claims, thereby forcing the Justice Department to turn over documents relating to the ongoing congressional investigation of the Fast and Furious operation:

“By stonewalling Congress and ignoring a contempt order, the Justice Department has left the House no choice but to take legal action so we can get to the bottom of the Fast and Furious operation that cost border agent Brian Terry his life. 

“After providing – then retracting - inaccurate information to Congress, Attorney General Holder has gone to extraordinary lengths to block access to subpoenaed documents and deny the efforts of the Terry family to get the truth.  The White House has been complicit in this effort to hide the truth by making executive privilege claims that have no merit, which is why today’s action is necessary.    

“The House’s bipartisan vote to hold the Attorney General in contempt made clear that the Obama administration owes the Terry family and the American people the truth.  We will continue holding the administration accountable until it provides those answers, and to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again.”

NOTE:  On June 28, 2012, a bipartisan majority of the House – by a vote of 255 – 67 – approved a resolution holding Attorney General Holder in contempt of Congress for his refusal to turn over subpoenaed documents related to the Fast and Furious operation.  The House Oversight & Government Reform Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee recently released the first of three reports on the Fast and Furious investigation, detailing the fundamental flaws that characterized the operation from the perspective of the United States Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Read the full report here.