Keith Mack
Eric Holder, the former US Attorney General, has been accused of breaking several laws during his time in office. These include failing to investigate the IRS's political targeting, handling national security threats as criminal justice issues, and going after journalists in leak investigations. He has also been accused of treating Congress with contempt and failing to advise President Obama against unconstitutional actions. In addition, Holder was involved in a civil lawsuit against Bank of America Corporation for defrauding investors and in the dismantling of several major espionage networks.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Treating Congress with contempt | Operation Fast and Furious |
| War on election integrity | "Racialized and radicalized" the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division |
| Failing to investigate the IRS's political targeting | Failing to enforce the House's contempt citation against Lois Lerner |
| Handling national security threats as criminal justice issues | Going after journalists in leak investigations |
| Turning a blind eye on sensitive administration leaks | Failing to advise President Obama against unconstitutional actions |
| Refusing to enforce/defend federal laws | Engaging in collusive lawsuits with advocacy groups to implement regulations without going through the normal legislative or even administrative course |
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What You'll Learn
Treating Congress with contempt
Eric Holder, the former US Attorney General, was held in contempt by the House of Representatives for his role in Operation Fast and Furious. He was also accused of treating Congress with contempt in several other ways.
Firstly, Holder was accused of failing to investigate the IRS's political targeting and enforce the House's contempt citation against Lois Lerner. He was also criticised for handling national security threats as criminal justice issues and going after journalists in leak investigations while turning a blind eye to sensitive administration leaks.
Secondly, Holder was accused of failing to advise President Obama against unconstitutional actions and refusing to enforce or defend federal laws. He was also criticised for engaging in collusive lawsuits with advocacy groups to implement regulations without going through the normal legislative or administrative course.
Thirdly, Holder was accused of waging a war on election integrity and "racializing and radicalizing" the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. This suggests that he may have allowed his personal political beliefs to influence the way he carried out his duties as Attorney General.
Overall, while Holder was not convicted of any crimes, he was accused of several actions that could be considered treating Congress with contempt. These actions raised questions about his commitment to the rule of law and the proper functioning of the US government.
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Failing to investigate the IRS's political targeting
Eric Holder, the former US Attorney General, has been accused of failing to investigate the IRS's political targeting and enforce the House's contempt citation against Lois Lerner. This is one of several alleged violations of the rule of law by Holder, including Operation Fast and Furious, for which the House of Representatives held him in contempt, and his handling of national security threats as criminal justice issues.
Holder has been criticised for his role in the IRS scandal, in which the agency was accused of targeting conservative groups for extra scrutiny during the 2012 election. The House of Representatives voted to hold Holder in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over documents related to the investigation.
Holder has defended his actions, arguing that he was following the law and that the investigation was ongoing. He has also criticised the House's contempt citation, calling it a "political stunt".
The failure to investigate the IRS's political targeting has been seen as a breach of trust and an abuse of power by Holder. Critics argue that he should have taken action to ensure the agency's independence and prevent any future targeting of political groups.
The consequences of Holder's inaction are still being felt today, with some arguing that the IRS has not fully recovered from the scandal and that it has damaged the public's trust in the agency.
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Handling national security threats as criminal justice issues
Eric Holder, the former US Attorney General, was accused of handling national security threats as criminal justice issues. This was one of several rule-of-law violations that Holder was accused of during his tenure as Attorney General.
Holder was accused of treating Congress with contempt, failing to investigate the IRS's political targeting and enforce the House's contempt citation against Lois Lerner, and going after journalists in leak investigations while turning a blind eye to sensitive administration leaks. He was also accused of failing to advise President Obama against unconstitutional actions and refusing to enforce or defend federal laws.
One example of Holder's handling of national security threats as criminal justice issues was the case of Evgeny Buryakov, aka “Zhenya,,” a Russian national charged in 2015 with serving as a covert intelligence agent on behalf of the Russian Federation in New York City. Buryakov's case was notable because he was not notified of his status as an agent of Russia, as required by federal law.
In another case, a West Palm Beach resident pleaded guilty to willful retention of classified national defense information pursuant to the Espionage Act, computer intrusion pursuant to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and conspiracy to commit naturalization fraud while employed as a computer systems administrator in the US.
Holder was also involved in civil lawsuits against major financial institutions, such as Bank of America, for defrauding investors in connection with the sale of risky mortgage-backed securities.
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Going after journalists in leak investigations
Eric Holder, the former US Attorney General, was accused of going after journalists in leak investigations while turning a blind eye to sensitive administration leaks. This was one of several rule-of-law violations that Holder was accused of during his tenure as Attorney General.
Holder was accused of treating Congress with contempt and failing to investigate the IRS's political targeting and enforce the House's contempt citation against Lois Lerner. He was also criticised for his handling of national security threats, which were treated as criminal justice issues rather than matters of national security.
Holder was also accused of failing to advise President Obama against unconstitutional actions and refusing to enforce or defend federal laws. In addition, he was criticised for engaging in collusive lawsuits with advocacy groups to implement regulations without going through the normal legislative or administrative process.
Holder's actions as Attorney General have been described as a "war on election integrity" and it has been alleged that he "racialized and radicalized" the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
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Engaging in collusive lawsuits with advocacy groups
Eric Holder, the former US Attorney General, has been accused of engaging in collusive lawsuits with advocacy groups to implement regulations without going through the normal legislative or administrative course. This is a violation of the rule of law.
Holder has been accused of working with advocacy groups to bring lawsuits that would result in new regulations being implemented without going through the usual legislative or administrative processes. This means that Holder may have been trying to use the courts to create new laws or regulations without going through the normal democratic process.
This is a serious accusation because it suggests that Holder was trying to circumvent the normal law-making process and create new laws or regulations without the input or approval of elected officials. It is not clear which advocacy groups Holder allegedly colluded with or what specific lawsuits were involved. However, the accusation suggests that Holder may have been working with special interest groups to advance their agenda outside of the normal democratic process.
This accusation is part of a list of Holder's alleged rule-of-law violations, which also includes failing to investigate the IRS's political targeting and enforce the House's contempt citation against Lois Lerner, and handling national security threats as criminal justice issues.
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Frequently asked questions
Eric Holder was accused of treating Congress with contempt, failing to investigate the IRS's political targeting and enforce the House's contempt citation against Lois Lerner, and failing to advise President Obama against unconstitutional actions.
Holder was also accused of handling national security threats as criminal justice issues, going after journalists in leak investigations, and racialising and radicalising the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
Eric Holder was the Attorney General of the United States.
