Rep. Bilirakis Votes to Hold AG Holder in Contempt of Congress

Washington, DC (June 28, 2012) – Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-09), on Thursday voted to charge Attorney General Eric Holder with contempt for not complying with Congressional subpoenas and requests for documents related to the "Operation Fast & Furious" program that knowingly placed guns in the hands of brutal Mexican cartels.

"Operation Fast & Furious" was a flawed and deadly program. We must get to the bottom of it and those responsible must be held accountable. The American people and Congress have lost faith in the ability of Attorney General Holder's ability to properly uphold the law and the interests of the United States," Bilirakis said. "That is why I have been calling for his resignation since last December, and is why I voted today to charge him with contempt."

The Attorney General has not been forthcoming with Congress and the Justice Department has delivered less than 8,000 of the 100,000 pages related to Operation Fast and Furious.

The contempt vote focuses on the Justice Department's refusal to turn over documents, and is the mechanism Congress uses to enforce compliance with its lawful subpoenas.

Watch Bilirakis discuss the vote: