Rough notes from my FNC colleague Chad Pergram speaking to Rep Eleanor Holmes Norton:
DEL ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON (D-DC) 6/11/2012
16:50:02 That has nothing to do w/ this subpoena. this subpoena is about federal docs under seal, matters under investigation & whatever fishing expedition they have in mind.
Norton: 16:50:38 you dont subpoena docs under seal….you don’t subpoena documents under seal. that allow fishing expedition. if you are in good faith, federal courts never allow subpoena from congress. this is clearly political. 16:51:08 when u look at underlying issue which has nothing to do with these docs. federal agent was killed, there has not been hearing for reason for the killing. the reason for killing was gun-running. 16:51:38 they tried to find out who struck john . Fast & Furious began under last admin…it continues…agents had to follow guns & a sting
q:
16:52:14 wiretaps would be under seal. 16:52:19 other documents that are captured by subpeona would be matter under investigation & under investigation. when u get beyond that it’s a fishing expedition bc they dont know what they want
16:52:49 the ag has been good about coming over & over again. 16:52:58 the agents & superiors involved have been replaced. this is about trying to milk Fast & furious for as much as you can. american ppl are beyond Fast & Furious . 16:53:24 there is a dispute in GOP Fast & Furious . 16:53:35 most ppl dont know what the issue of F & F was. 16:53:42 it should be about why these agents were killed in the first place. they were killed bc of a hole in the law
q: speaker waivered
16:54:33 there will be risks, some gop signed onto subpoena. 16:54:47 there is 1 in motion right now. 16:54:53 baseball player
16:54:59 when we issue subpeona, when u want the courts to take it seriously, it’s bipartisan. 16:55:20 congress is polarized as this, particularly docs not turned over, 16:55:30 i dont expect the courts to give much , i dont expect the courts to pay much attention to this subpoena
q: harriet myers & josh bolten in contempt
16:56:10 dems undoubtedly done this at other points. 16:56:20 indep counsel notion was tested in the courts & found constitutional. 16:56:33 ultimately the congress got rid of the indep counsel. 16:56:44 looks like we havent gotten rid of subpoena
q: no info forthcoming from the admin
16:57:10 i cited roger clemens dispute
16:57:15 i dont know of an instance where courts forced subpoena. 16:57:28 when the govt witholds info, …16:57:37 some kind of compromise, some docs is forthcoming. 16:57:49 i believe this is a strike for 2 purpose 1) to gin up fast & furious…. 16:58:04 and the other is to force some kind of compromise which means more documents are coming. 16:58:17 i wouldnt take this subpoena seriously
the courts dont seem to
q: dispute between 2 branches of govt in myers & bolten
16:58:44 the most you can get is a judge say why dont you try to figure out
16:58:53 a judge is not going to side 1 branch of govt against another . it reeks of politics
q: holder coming to testify
16:59:25 the senate rarely issues such a subpoena
q: both bodies issued subpoena in myers & bolten
17:00:09 a reason that i dont expect the senate to move this way: 17:00:19 dont think senate gop or dem want to involved fast & furious, which has been entirely gop House driven matter. ppl fixated on it is House, particularly our cmte.
17:00:49 it’s close to election….
17:00:55 all that stuff comes from house gop. 17:01:00 what we see senate gop doing now is backing off of following the House. we see senate gop passing transportation bill. 17:01:19 u do not hear that kind of talk from the senate.17:01:29 gop are keeping their nose dry
q: have u spoken to AG holder?
no
Chad Pergram
FOX News
Senior Producer
U.S. House of Representatives
