New Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz Subpoenas Holder Over Operation Fast and Furious

Katie Pavlich | January 07, 2015 8:10 AM

In his first move as the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman, Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz has issued another subpoena to Attorney General Eric Holder over Operation Fast and Furious.

First action as Chairman. Subpoena Eric Holder on Fast & Furious. @GOPoversight #FastandFurious pic.twitter.com/1xtH4kLMQB
— Jason Chaffetz (@jasoninthehouse) January 6, 2015

The move comes as Holder prepares to leave the Justice Department and as senators ready a confirmation hearing for his replacement, federal prosecutor Loretta Lynch. Holder has been subpoenaed over Fast and Furious before and in June 2012 became the first sitting attorney general in history to be held in criminal and civil contempt of Congress for failing to turn over thousands of documents to congressional investigators.

Chaffetz follows in the footsteps of former Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa, who pursued a number of Obama administration scandals from 2010-2014.

UPDATE: It should be noted that the new subpoena is identical to subpoenas previously issued to Holder in 2011 and 2013. Subpoenas expire at the end of every Congress and must be reissued.