House Speaker John A. Boehner said President Obama’s use of executive privilege in his administration’s refusal to turn over documents regarding the “Fast and Furious” gunrunning operation is proof the White House is involved in a cover-up.
“The decision to invoke executive privilege is an admission that White House officials were involved in decisions that misled the Congress and have covered up the truth,” the Ohio Republican told reporters Thursday. “So what is the Obama administration hiding in Fast and Furious?”
Mr. Boehner called the administration’s refusal to fully cooperate with a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee subpoena to the Justice Department for documents “a very serious matter.”
“Until yesterday, it was just the Department of Justice that we were concerned about,” he said. “Clearly at the 11th hour and 50th minute, the White House decided to inject themselves into this where there had been no indication that a White House had been involved at all.”
Mr. Boehner stopped short of demanding Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.’s resign.
“This is about getting to the truth for the American people … it’s not about personalities,” he said.
